MT. VERNON - Mary Ann Palm, 86, of Mt. Vernon, passed away at 12:20 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011, at Crossroads Community Hospital in Mt. Vernon. She was born Sunday, Feb. 24, 1924, in Birmingham, Ala., to James Winchester and Mable (Lee) Shaw. She married Robert Alfred Palm on Sept. 7, 1946, in West Allis, Wisc. He preceded her in death on Feb. 9, 2006. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, at the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Vernon with the Rev. Rob Dyer officiating. The Palm family will greet friends from 12 to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, at the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Vernon. She is survived by a son, Robert Lee (Rusty) Palm and wife Amber of Tuscon, Ariz.; two daughters, Cynthia Ann Longwell and husband Dr. Charles of Mt. Vernon and Catherine Ann Palm-Gessner and husband Dr. Robert of Prescott, Ariz.; three grandchildren, Dr. Charles Longwell III and wife Diana of Springfield, Kathleen Palm and fiancé Kevin Summers of Oak Park and Elyse Hauge and husband Joe of Tuscon, Ariz.; her best buddy, "Tommy," her cat; a sister-in-law, Jean Shaw, of Munroe Falls, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews also survive. Her parents, her husband, one infant granddaughter, Rachel Ann Longwell, one brother, James Shaw, and one nephew, Ricky Shaw, preceded her in death. Mary Ann was a registered nurse, having graduated from the Columbia School of Nursing in Milwaukee, Wisc. She was also a member of the First Presbyterian Church. Mary Ann moved from the south in 1932, to the Ely, Minn., area where her father was a camp supervisor for the Civilian Conservation Corp. This is where she learned her love of the north woods. After graduation from nurses' training, she married her husband in 1946. In 1958, the family moved to Naperville. Mary Ann worked for Wolf Medical Group, was active in Knox Presbyterian Church, was a Girl Scout leader, and was a volunteer at the historic Naper Village. She loved to paint, make porcelain dolls, read, and go on the yearly family camping trips out west. In 1986, she moved to Oswego, where she was active in the Oswego Presbyterian Church, and helped with Meals on Wheels. In 2002, she and her husband moved to Mt. Vernon. She spent eight very happy years at Greentree Assisted Living Apartments, making wonderful friends with the other residents and staff. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Vernon. For those who wish, memorials may be given to the First Presbyterian Church or to the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine - Campus Box 8111, 4488 Forest Park Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Memorials will be accepted at the funeral home or may be mailed to Hughey Funeral Home, P.O. Box 721, Mt. Vernon, Illinois 62864. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Hughey Funeral Home, where you may call (618) 242-3348 or visit www.hugheyfuneralhome1969.com for further information