Marylynne Toliver (74) of Effingham

Marylynne Toliver, 74, of Effingham, IL, passed away on Friday, October 28, 2022, at home surrounded by her loving family.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 4, 2022, at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery in Centralia, IL. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here.

Marylynne was born on March 16, 1948, in Kaunakakai, Molokai, Hawaii, the daughter of Sina and Virginia (Hess) Fear and was raised by her aunt and guardian, Blanche Staninger, who were all of Centralia. She married Gratton Toliver on October 6, 1995.

Marylynne retired as a Manager of Post Office Operations of Gateway District with the United States Postal Service in May 2009 after 25 years of faithful service. She began her career as a PTF Clerk in Odin, Salem, and Centralia, IL. In her journey to gain knowledge she become an Officer in Charge in Albion, IL and continued as an Account Representative and Manager of Retail Sales in Carbondale, IL before her promotion to Manager of Post Office Operations in St. Louis, MO. She oversaw the operations of 150 Post Offices in Central and Southern Illinois, where her main office was domiciled in Effingham, IL. Marylynne was beloved by her Postmasters and Postal family for her caring and thoughtful managerial style. She always went the extra mile to assure her employees received the encouragement and training they needed to succeed within the Postal Service.

Marylynne was an avid musician and began her career in 1982 by learning to play the acoustic guitar centered around Bluegrass music. She later learned how to play the stand-up bass and sang in two bands. She was the originator and cofounder of “Salt Creek” and “Foxfire”. Marylynne participated in many Bluegrass Festivals and jam sessions throughout her music career. She and her husband hosted many musical jams at their home, including an annual New Year’s Day celebration for over 26 years, which musicians from all over the state would come to play and enjoy music.

In addition to Bluegrass music, Marylynne and Gratton and their band participated in many events where they played period piece music of the 1860s for balls and Civil War reenactments for nearly 21 years.

Marylynne was very proud to be a member of Mensa, a high IQ society. Her gift and talent to manage and organize was again utilized when she became a charter member of Three Chicks and a Stage Theatrical Group, which performed at the Rose Bud Theater in Effingham.

Marylynne had a love of nature and enjoyed the outdoors. She found comfort in taking trips to the family cabin to get away. She also was a true animal lover and found importance in helping animals. Marylynne donated to local animal shelters and the Humane Society. She also shared this love of animals with others through Pet Therapy at local nursing homes with her yellow lab, Elle.

Marylynne is survived by her husband, Gratton Toliver of Effingham; daughter, Kimberly (Wolfram) Rösch of Fairview Heights; step-children, Brooke (Andrew) Riley of Mt. Vernon, Ryan Toliver of Newport, MI, and Shawn (Dayna) Toliver of Mt. Vernon; sisters, Aida Grable-Pulver (Larry) of St. Augustine, FL, and Jenny (Kermit) Storck of Carlyle; granddaughter, Brittan Rösch; and step-grandchildren, Addison Mays, Conner Mays, Sawyer Mays, Philip (Chelsey) Riley, Sean Riley, Jack Toliver, Colin Toliver, Ragen Toliver, Rylan Toliver, and Rowan Toliver.

She was preceded in death by her aunt and guardian, Blanche Staninger; parents, Sina and Virginia Fear; brother, Alonzo Fear; brother-in-law, Mickey Grable; and beloved yellow lab of 15 years, Elle.