Ellen A. Mersman, 74, of rural Effingham died at 6:55 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, 2011, at Provena Covenant Hospital in Urbana.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary Help of Christians Church in the Green Creek area of rural Effingham, with burial in St. Mary's Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today, Aug. 22, at Bauer Funeral Home, Effingham, with a combined Catholic Daughters of the Americas and Council of Catholic Women rosary at 6 p.m. and a parish wake service at 7 p.m.

Mrs. Mersman was born Aug. 19, 1937, in Mattoon, the daughter of Alphonse and Catherine (Fuesting) Probst. She married John Mersman on Oct. 5, 1957. He preceded her in death on Dec. 30, 2010.

She was a homemaker and dairy farm wife. She also was a member of St. Mary Help of Christians Church of Green Creek, St. Mary's Council of Catholic Women and Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court 720. Mrs. Mersman enjoyed playing cards, quilting and spending time with family and friends.

Survivors include four sons, Paul (wife, Kim), Mark, Dan (wife, Tonya) and Tom, all of Effingham; one daughter, Karen (Joe) Lidy of Island Grove; 11 grandchildren, David, Andy, Brittany, Courtney, Lauren, Brooke, Blake and Jack Mersman, and John, James and Jacob Lidy; two brothers, Norman (wife, Johnna) Probst of Chesterfield, Mo., and Wayne (wife, Edna) Probst of Mattoon; daughter-in-law, Deb (Dan) Blankenship of Teutopolis; and sister-in-law, Rose Marie Probst of Mattoon.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; son, Robert "Bob"; brother, Maurice; and infant sister, Marilyn.