Evelyn L. Reu

Evelyn was born July 26, 1918, in East St. Louis, the daughter of Caleb Edgar Lindsey and Hallena (Grammar) Lindsey. She graduated from Granite City Community High School in 1937, and then attended business school in St. Louis. She worked as a secretary in a Granite City insurance office.

She married Melvin Thompson Reu on July 4, 1942, in Granite City. In 1943, Melvin and Evelyn moved to Wheaton. In 1946, they returned to Melvin’s hometown of Carthage, where they raised their family and lived until Melvin’s death in 1994.

Evelyn was a busy homemaker. She also was very involved in her children’s school and extracurricular activities, serving on multiple PTA committees and as a leader in Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. She and Melvin also were active at First United Methodist Church in Carthage, where they were members of the Triangle Sunday school class for 48 years. In recent years, Evelyn resided in the Sterling-Prophetstown area.

She is survived by a daughter, Marie (Glenn) Motsinger of Chicago; a son, Rex (Mary) Reu of Bloomington; a daughter-in-law, Jane Reu of McHenry; seven grandchildren, Marilee Tuite, Meredith Brody, Geoffrey Reu, Lindsey Foss, Allison Reu, Michael Reu, and Mollie Reu; and five great-grandchildren, John and Audrey Tuite, Xavier and Zadie Reu, and Emma Brody.

Evelyn also was preceded in death by her parents; one sister; and one son, Randy M. Reu, in 2004.

Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m., followed by the funeral at 11 a.m., Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Carthage, with the Rev. Steven Michael Smith officiating. Burial will be at Moss Ridge Cemetery in Carthage. Printy Funeral Home in Carthage is handling arrangements.

Memorials may be directed to Good Samaritan Center – Prophets Riverview, 310 Mosher Drive, Prophetstown, IL 61277; or First United Methodist Church, 402 Main St., Carthage, IL 62321.