Martha Perkins

February 23, 1938 - December 2, 2020

Martha Marie Simmons Perkins, age 82 years, a resident of Marion and a native of Johnson County, Illinois, passed away Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at Stonebridge Nursing and Rehab Center in Benton, Illinois. Martha was born February 23, 1938 at the family home near Vienna. She was the daughter of Ed Simmons and Robbie (Ridenhower) Simmons. Martha was united in marriage to Larry Ellis. She was later united in marriage to Bob Perkins. He preceded her in death. Martha is survived by: her sons – Ron (Pam) Ellis and Steve Ellis – all of Marion; grandchildren – Stephen (Janna) Ellis of Indianapolis, Brooklyn Ellis of Campbell Hill, Cameron (Heather) Ellis of South Dakota, Bradley (Leslie) Ellis of San Antonio, Texas, Craig (Angela) Ellis of Goreville, and Ashley (her fiancé Brant Renfro) Ellis of Marion; great grandchildren – Weston, Destiny, Lucas, Breann, Ava, Kylie, Allison, and Amelia; a sister – Sandra Sue (Lowell) Trovillion of Vienna; a sister-in-law – Georgia Simmons of Oklahoma; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends. In addition to her parents and husbands, Martha was preceded in death by: a son – Howard Edward “Howie” Ellis and a brother – Edward Franklin Simmons. Martha was a 1955 graduate of Vienna High School. She earned her LPN (Licensed Practical Nursing) certification from John A. Logan College. Martha had worked as a secretary in the office of former Illinois Governor Richard Ogilvie. She later worked as a receptionist at the Fleischli Medical Group in Springfield. Martha also worked at several nursing care facilities in Southern Illinois as well as the Marion VA Medical Center and the Memphis Tennessee VA Medical Center. Martha enjoyed visiting with family and friends and had many pen pals across the country. She was a member of the Red Hat society. Martha is fondly remembered for her willingness to help everyone she came into contact with and for her genuine caring spirit. In her spare time, she enjoyed quilting, making handcrafted crochet items and was a talented artist. Martha was a member of the Baptist faith and attended Grange Hall Freewill Baptist Church near Marion. A graveside service honoring the life of Martha Perkins will be conducted Tuesday, December 29, 2020, at 1 PM at Ledbetter Cemetery, Carr Lane, Vienna, Illinois. Those attending the service are asked to gather at the cemetery at 12:45 PM. The family will gather for a private visitation prior to the graveside service. For those who cannot personally attend the service, it will be live-streamed on the Bailey Funeral Home Facebook page and will be archived for later viewing. Those attending the service are reminded that customarily accepted social distancing guidelines are to be observed. The wearing of a face mask or covering is strongly encouraged. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105-1905.