Josephine Ida Zollner, nee Idoll, age 87, of O'Fallon, passed away Monday, January 7, 2019 at Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Mo., after suffering a stroke on December 28, 2018.

Josie grew up in East St. Louis, and graduated from St. Teresa's Academy in 1949, where she made many lifelong friends. She married Charles Zollner on November 7, 1953 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Josie worked for the Prudential Insurance Company for five years before becoming a fulltime mother and homemaker. The Zollners moved to O'Fallon in 1964, where the family became active in the community and Josie later became active in the Metro-East Mother of Twins Club. As members of St. Clare parish, Charlie and Jo enjoyed encouraging young couples preparing for marriage and enriching their own marriage by participating in the Pre-Cana and Marriage Encounter programs.  As charter members of St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Josie was active in many ministries, including the St. Nicholas Ladies' Auxiliary, the day choir, the funeral luncheon providers, and Yesterday's Kids. She was also involved in the St. Clair County Homemakers Extension and the Knights of Columbus Ladies' Auxiliary.  Josie was a talented seamstress and excellent cook.  She enjoyed crocheting, quilting, embroidery, and tole painting. She even tried her hand at cake-decorating.  She was able to travel often with her husband and their dear friends known as the "Magnificent 8." Josie was a 30+ year breast cancer survivor.

She was preceded in death by her parents John and Sophia, nee Gatts, Idoll and her brother John Idoll.  She was also preceded in death by Charles, her husband of almost 48 years, all of  his brothers and sisters, and by Bill McGeehon, a friend of many years with whom she later shared a beloved companionship and brief marriage in 2015.  Preceding her in death, too, was her first great-grandson, Malachi Piatt.

Surviving are her children Dana (Jeff) Piatt of O'Fallon, Cynthia Mullin of Temecula, Calif., Kurt (Shari) Zollner of Racine, Wisc., Karl Zollner, Kay (Darrell) Koller of Ballwin, Mo., and Kent Zollner of York, Penn.; grandchildren Ben Piatt, Carey (Scott) Adkins, John (Natalie) Piatt, Caleb (Amanda) Piatt, Luke, Paige, Brooke and Amy Mullin, Chelsi, Jacob, Klaire, Noah, and Nicholas Zollner; three great-grandchildren Tessa, Taggart, and Maebeline Piatt. Also surviving are her sister-in-law Dolores Idoll of Caseyville, Ill., and her children Laura (Paul) Baebler of Troy, Ill., Rhonda (Raymond) Miller of Collinsville, Ill., John (Linda) Idoll of Caseyville, Ill., and Gregory (Linda) Idoll of Collinsville, Ill., as well as her sister-in-law Jean Zollner of Belleville, Ill.  and many beloved nieces and nephews on the Zollner side of the family.

Memorial donations may be made to the St. Nicholas Catholic Church Capital Development Fund or to the American Cancer Society.

Visitation: The family will receive friends 3-7 p.m., Monday, January 14, 2019 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, O'Fallon, and after 10 am, Tuesday, January 15, 2019, at the church. Yesterday's Kids will conduct a walk-through at 5:45 pm, Monday, at the church.

Funeral: Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am, Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at the church, with Msgr. William J. Hitpas presiding. Burial will immediately follow at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Shiloh, Ill.