Mrs. Blanche Taake, age 74, of Troy, passed away Sunday, January 5, 2003 at Maryville Manor Nursing Home. Mrs. Taake was a former co-owner of MAPCO in Granite City, Illinois and was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Troy.

Mrs. Taake was preceded in death by her husband, Lowell; her father Merrill "Babe" Elliott, and a nephew, Jeff Suess.

Survivors include her mother Selma, nee Kueker, Elliott; three daughters, Linda (Ewald) Hoffman of Troy, Carol (Mike) Hollingshead of Troy and Donna (Mark) Sanders, also of Troy; a brother-in-law, Robert (Dorothy) Taake of Fort Smith, Arkansas; a sister, Judy (Leonard) Suess of Troy; a nephew, John (Michelle) Suess of Troy and three grandchildren: Amy and Minday Hoffman and Chad Burgess and a great-niece and great-nephew, Eric and Molly Suess.

Memorials: St. Paul Lutheran Church, Troy, Illinois or The Diabetes Association

Visitation: 4:00 pm, Wednesday, January 8, 2003 at Laughlin Funeral Home

Funeral Service: 10:30 AM, Thursday, January 9, 2003, Laughlin Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. James Zimmerman officiating

Interment: Friedens Cemetery, Troy, IL