Mabelle E. Lee, 94

Mabelle E. Lee, 94, of Hot Springs, passed away on Monday, March 14, 2005, at Evergreen Health Care in Hot Springs from natural causes. She was born west of Sparland, Ill., on June 30, 1910, to John J. and Iona Ray DeWalt.

She married Hershell Hall in Lacon, Ill., on February 4, 1935. They had one son, Gordon. Hershell and Mabelle later divorced in 1944.

After meeting Glenn Benny Lee in 1955, Mabelle converted to Catholicism and they were married on Sept. 8, 1956, at Washington, Ill., in St. Patrick's Church. They had a loving marriage and friendship.

They loved to bowl and belonged to bowling leagues into Mabelle's 80s. She bowled on three teams a week in her early 70s. Mabelle was the league secretary for several years and won several trophies. She received two of those bowling trophies for picking up the 7-10 split.

Mabelle and Glenn enjoyed riding the bus to their beloved Cardinal's games in Chicago and St. Louis with fellow Caterpillar employee fans, and they enjoyed going to harness races. After Glenn retired from Caterpillar, they belonged to the CAT retirees club, playing bingo, going to Cardinal games, attending dinners, and proudly walking union picket lines.

Upon Glenn's death in September of 2000, Mabelle moved to Kalispell and lived with her granddaughter, Tonya Marsh, and her family until January of 2001. She then moved to Hot Springs to live with her son, Gordon.

Mabelle worked in the woolen mills at Lacon, as a waitress for several years and at the Caterpillar Tractor Company. She is a past member of the Hotel, Restaurant, and Bartenders Union, United Auto Workers Union, and she was a member of Caterpillar Retirees Club and the American Legion Auxiliary.

Mabelle was preceded in death by her parents, John and Iona DeWalt; her husband, Glenn; brothers, Warren, Anthony and Wilfred; and sisters, Margaret, Mildred and Helen.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Gordon and Paula Hall, of Hot Springs; grandson and wife, Mike and Rose Hall, and her great-granddaughter, Allie, of Kalispell; granddaughter, Patti Hall of Shelbyville, Texas, great-granddaughter, Shannon Rehbein; great-great-granddaughters, Macelynne and Jesselynn Rehbein, all of Shelbyville; granddaughter and husband, Michelle and Ross Light, great-granddaughter, Lindsey, and great-grandson, Eric, of Aurora, Colo.; granddaughter and husband, Kristi and Richard Johnson, and great-granddaughters, Jessica, Jaimie and Justine, of Kalispell; granddaughter and husband, Tonya and Jay Marsh, and great-grandsons, Joshua and Tanner, of Kalispell; and great-granddaughter, Ryan Hein, of Kalispell.

Visitation will be held at Wright & Salmon Funeral Home in Peoria, Ill., on Tuesday, March 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. with a rosary at 7:30 p.m. Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 23, at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Peoria. Burial will be at the Resurrection Cemetery following the service.

Arrangements are by Grogan Funeral Home of Polson and Wright & Salmon Mortuary of Peoria, IL.