Mary L. Metzger-Reiff, nee Korbel, age 89, of O'Fallon, formerly of Fairmont City, born December 6, 1920, passed away December 18, 2009 at her home.

Mary was a devoted mother to her six children. She had attended St. Clare Catholic Church and had previously been active in the Altar Sodality. She was a former member of Fairmont City Sr. Citizens Club and O'Fallon Twp. Senior Citizens Club. She worked as a cook at Red Lobster from the time it opened until the mid-1980s. She enjoyed playing pinochle and canasta and listening and dancing to polka music.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Julia, nee Rosich, Korbel; her first husband William J.Metzger, whom she married November 23, 1939 and her passed away in 1967; her second husband Lawrence Reiff; her sisters Helen Helbig, Elsie Vanek, Josephine Vanek; her brother Joseph Korbel; sisters-in-law, Julie Westbrook, Mary Powell, Anna Hatcher, and Violet Gambell; and brother-in-law Louis Metzger.

Mary is survived by her children Mary Ann (David) McCollum of O'Fallon; Jo Ann (Joseph Wolf) Kern-Wolf of Coulterville, Ill., Stephen (Cris) Metzger of Oakdale, Ill., Betty (Elijah) Copling-Mackey of Lebanon, Ill., Patricia (Arthur) Hernandez of Marine, Ill., and Lori (Robert Bazzle) Safron-Bazzle of Bonne Terre, Mo., her step-children Lawrence (Martha) Reiff, Jr., of Benton, Ill., Delores Meyer of Hoffman, Ill., and Thomas (Joan) Reiff of Omaha, Ark.

Also surviving are her grandchildren, Danny McCollum, Michael (Josephine) McCollum, and Jennifer McCollum; Michael and Stephen Kern, Julie (Tony) Colona, Stephen Metzger, Jr., Matthew Metzger, and Heidi (Kevin) Killian; Christine (Reid) Copling, Robert and James Copling, and William (Denise) Copling; Rocky (Jaime) Hernandez, Brandy, Colby, Dusty, Brittany, and Casey Hernandez; and Brad and John Safron, 28 great-grandchildren, special niece Eleanore (Jim) Barnes of Cleveland, Tenn., many great nieces and great nephews, and the large extended family of Mr. Reiff whom she dearly loved.

Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society for breast cancer research.

Visitation: Friends may call from 4:00 – 8:00 pm, Monday, December 28, 2009 at Wolfersberger Funeral Home, 102 W. Washington St., O'Fallon

Funeral: Procession will depart the funeral home at 9:45 am., Tuesday, December 29, 2009 for a Mass of Christian Burial to commence at 10:00 am, at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 1411 Cross St., Shiloh. Burial will follow at Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery, Belleville. Following the burial, a potluck luncheon will be served at VFW Post 8677, 5325 N. Illinois St, Fairview Heights, Illinois.