Mary Ellen Clow Ulfig

Mary Ellen Clow Ulfig, 79, of Coal Valley, Illinois, long-time Coal Valley Village Clerk, died Thursday, February 13, 2014, in her home, surrounded by her family.

Services are 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church, Coal Valley, with The Reverend Tim Snart officiating. Burial is in Coal Valley Cemetery. Visitation is 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Trimble Funeral and Cremation Center, Coal Valley. Memorials may be made to Hospice Compassus.

The former Mary Ellen McCabe was born May 9, 1934, in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of Allen Garey and Eleanor Evelyn Fifield McCabe. She married James R. Clow in 1953, in Rock Island, Illinois, and that marriage ended in 1974. She married Charles C. Ulfig III in 1982, in Coal Valley. Both men died in 2004. She was employed by the Village of Coal Valley for 30 years, retiring as Village Clerk in 1996. She was a member of Municipal Clerks of Illinois since 1974, and a member of E. Flora Jones Newcomers Club and Milan Hillcrest AFG. In earlier years, she was active in Coal Valley Elementary School PTA, Cub Scouts, First Presbyterian Church, Coal Valley, and First Christian Church, Moline. She loved spending time with her family, and enjoyed photography, scrapbooking, sports, especially basketball and football, and music. She was a 24 year cancer survivor, and her extended family of 35 people has walked in Race for the Cure in her honor for many years.

Mary Ellen is survived by children and spouses, Ellen S. Clow of Coal Valley, Edward S. and Nancy Clow of Wheeling, Illinois, James A. Clow of Coal Valley, and Thomas W. and Barbara Clow of Cumming, Georgia; 14 grandchildren and spouses, Matt and Stephanie Brown, Michael Mitchell, Adam and Jennie Mitchell, Matthew Mitchell, Kelly Nesbitt, Mary Jo and Chris Thomas, Jennifer Clow, Will Clow, Amanda and Mike Frietsch, Elaine and Aaron Whelan, Emily and Autumn Skelton, Nichole and Joel Teruya, Monica and Steve Sparks, and Jim Clow; 21 great-grandchildren; and siblings and spouses, William and Karen McCabe of Coal Valley, and Kathleen McCabe of Moline.

Mary Ellen's family invites friends to share stories and condolences and light a candle in her memory at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.