Mary A. Trudell, 75, of Fremont, Calif., formerly of Cambridge, died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in Fremont. Memorial services for Mrs. Trudell will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Milan. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Quad Cities Honor Flight. Mary was born on Oct. 17, 1937, in Eliza, a daughter of August and Eunice Allen Wagner. She married Douglas E. Trudell on Nov. 14, 1986, in Davenport. He preceded her in death in 2009. Mary graduated from Western Illinois University with a master's degree in education. She taught for many years in the public school system and later taught at the East Moline Correctional Center. She retired from teaching in 1988. Survivors include her children, Tim Darchuck, Fremont, Matthew Darchuck, Elgin, Ill., William Darchuck, Rockford, Ill., and Carrie (Kevin) Winkel, Port Bryon; grandchildren, Rachael, Reese, Chantelle and Damian; and siblings, Wendell (Kilsun) Wagner, Fayetteville, N.C., Dwight (Susie) Wagner, Rock Island, and Marcie Ripley, Marion, Iowa. Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Douglas; brothers, Louis Wagner, Richard Wagner and Carl Wagner; and a niece, Diana Wagner. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.wheelanpressly.com.
Today is Tuesday, May 21, the 141st day of 2013. There are 224 days left in the year. 1863 -- 150 years ago: On Monday the 11th inst. on Center Ridge in Mercer County,some citizens got out their cannon to celebrate the taking of Richmond. The gun wasoverloaded and burst. No one was injured, but one 30-pound piece went though thesecond story of a house. 1888 -- 125 years ago: The old folks concert at the Harper Theater last night to benefit St.Luke's Cottage Hospital, attracted a large audience. 1913 -- 100 years ago: Unless depredation by vandals in Rock Island parks is halted,special policemen will be assigned to night duty to protect the flowers and other property. 1938 -- 75 years ago: Station WHBF has received a special citation from Washington forits participation in Air Mail Week, which was observed this week throughout the nation. 1963 -- 50 years ago: A 10-year high in employment in the Quad-City area was reachedat the end of the last quarter, according to an industrial employment barometer releasedtoday. 1988 -- 25 years ago: Pee Wee teams will be able to play baseball and softball as usualon Diamond Three at Dorrance Park this summer, but after that, the ball field is doomed.County crews have put the diamond back in shape after heavy trucks marred the playingfield earlier this spring. Illinois Department of Transportation crews drove onto it to makeborings for the relocation of the junction of Illinois 84 and the Port Byron-Hillsdale road.