Connie Lou Ervin (76) of St. Elmo

Connie Lou Ervin, 76, of St. Elmo, passed away on Tuesday, June 3, 2024 at Aperion Care in St Elmo after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at Pagel Funeral Homes in St. Elmo with a two-hour visitation prior to the service. Pee Wee Denton will be officiating. Interment will be at Maplewood Cemetery. Memorials may go to the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be expressed by clicking here.

Connie was born on August 2, 1947 to Fountain "Jack" Crum and Verla (Finley) Crum in St Elmo. Connie obtained her GED in 1980 and later went on to study to be an Emergency Medical Technician at Lake Land College in Mattoon. Over the years, she has worked many jobs waitressing, bartending, restaurant manager, and newspaper writer, before retiring as an EMT and Safety Officer at Fedders in Effingham. To merely say that Connie cared deeply for the earth and the creatures that inhabit it would be an understatement, as she proved this day in and day out through countless hours of planting flowers in her yard, as she was an avid gardener. Connie took much delight in cooking and baking at an early age and was quite good at it too. She was taught to make the best pies by her grandmother Anna Finley. She could cook for large crowds or family, but she always made sure food was an important part of the celebration. She loved holidays, her family and her little dog Ruby. When she was not gardening or cooking, she would enjoy music, dancing, or quilting as a favorite pastime.

She is survived by her two daughters, Penny Pearson Lewis (Todd) of Vandalia and Barbara Duckwitz Barton (Matthew) of Alton; a son, Marty Romans of Brownstown; sonin-law, Mike Deters of Effingham; 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Lori Richey of St. Elmo and Jackolyn Nickels of St. Elmo; two brothers, Owen "Pank" Crum of St. Elmo and Russell Crum of Effingham; and many nieces and nephews.

Connie was preceded by her parents, Jack and Verla Crum; brother, Danny Crum; sister, Evelyn Crum; daughter, Kendra Deters and granddaughter, Addison Scott.