Maryellen Faye (Marsh) Collins of Wayne City, IL passed away at her home on Sept. 20th, 2025 at 3:00pm with her two children by her side. She was 98 years old and had been in declining health for quite some time. She had been placed on hospice care since March of 2022. Maryellen was born on November 26, 1926 in Barnhill, IL to Ben & Anna (Gifford) Marsh. She grew up in Barnhill, IL and lived there until she married Charles Collins on June 18, 1950. After she married Charles, they moved to Fairfield, IL. Her and her husband adopted two children. She was a homemaker until later in her life after her children were older, she worked at Airtex in Fairfield, IL for 20 years, and also as a C.N.A. at Way-Fair Nursing home and at Countryside Manor in Mt. Vernon, IL. She also had been an EMT along with her husband Charles who was also an EMT for the Wayne County Ambulance.
She enjoyed reading her Bible daily, attending church, planting a big garden with her husband, tending to her flowers and feeding the hummingbirds. Her favorite songs were “Whispering Hope” and “Amazing Grace” and her favorite Bible verse was Psalm 122:1-” I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord”.
In 1985, Maryellen and her husband Charles moved to Wayne City and she remained there until the time of her death. She was an active member of the Wayne City Baptist church for many years until her health declined and she was no longer able to get out but she still enjoyed listening to gospel programs, such as The Gaither’s Homecoming and listening to sermons by Billy Graham.
During the last few years of being confined to her home, she still enjoyed receiving weekly calls from her niece, Virginia Doggett, visits from her good friends Katherine Webb, Kathleen Woodley, Marlene Woods, Tabitha Morse and many other close friends and family. Many of her friends from her Sunday School class at Wayne City Baptist Church would stop by to visit, to pray with her, and to bring her delicious homemade food. Maryellen’s faith was very strong in the Lord and when her eyesight declined, reading her Bible was something she truly missed being able to do, but her faith in the Lord always remained strong. She is now at peace and no longer in pain and she has been reunited with her loving husband Charles, and is now safe within the arms of her Savior Jesus Christ. She had sadly lost her hearing and most of her eyesight a few years ago but now both are wonderfully restored to her and she is walking on those beautiful streets of gold!
Maryellen Faye Collins is survived by one son Charles Collins II and one daughter Anna Collins, as well as by many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Collins of sixty-eight years, her parents and five siblings.
A private family graveside service for Maryellen Faye (Marsh) Collins will be held at Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Barnhill, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations in Maryellen’s memory may be made to the Wayne City Baptist Church and will be accepted at Gholson Funeral Home in McLeansboro, which is assisting the family with arrangements. Maryellen’s family would like to extend a very special thank you to all of the wonderful and caring Hospice nurses, the C.N.A.’s, and workers from “Help at Home”. And an extra special thank you goes to Maryellen’s nurse Amber who has been her nurse during the last 4 years of Maryellen’s time in Hospice. Also, a big thank you to Laura, Maryellen’s long time C.N.A., and her therapy dog Nala. And last but not least, to nurse Krista from Hospice who was there for support and comfort with Maryellen’s children as she passed from this life into the arms of Jesus.
Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.gholsonfuneralhome.com
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