Mrs. Mary E. Schlaefer, 85 of St. Jacob, Ill., born September 30, 1920 in St. Louis, MO, died March 8, 2006 at Bohannon Nursing Home in Lebanon, Ill.

Mrs. Schlaefer has lived most of her adult life in the Troy, St. Jacob area. She was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Troy, Ill.

Mrs. Schlaefer was preceded in death by her parents Clyde and Mary Anna (nee: Pearson) Bell, her foster parents Charles and Mae Steinkamp, her husband Louis Schlaefer whom she married in 1948 and passed away on October 26, 1989, five brothers, John, Bill, George, Charles, Morris and Joseph Bell, and a granddaughter, Michele Schlaefer who passed away September 26, 1997.

Mrs. Schlaefer is survived by two sons, Louis (Jackie) Schlaefer of St. Jaocb, Ill., and Larry (Sharon) Schlaefer of St. Jacob, Ill.,five grandchildren, Daniel Schlaefer, Wayne (Barb) Schlaefer, Steve Schlaefer, Linda (Kevin) Byrne, and Laurie Schlaefer, and eleven great-grandchildren.

Visitation Hours; Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, 2006 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Troy, Ill. Funeral Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday March 11, 2006 from St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Troy, Ill. Interment at St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery, Troy, Ill. Memorial are to be made to Michele Schlaefer Scholarship Fund, College of Pharmacy of St. Paul's Lutheran School.

On line expressions of sympathy may be made at www.laughlinfh.com.