Mary Lou (Preci) Collins

Mary Lou Collins, 81, of Ottawa, IL, passed away Saturday, June 20, 2020 at Pleasant View. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 am, Wednesday, June 24 at St. Columba Church, with Rev. David Kipfer officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11 am, prior to services, at the church. She will be buried at St. Columba Cemetery. Ottawa Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Mary Lou was born August 20, 1938, in Streator to Louis "Louie" Preci and Helen (Wielgopolan) and Steve Geiger. She married Richard "Dick" Collins on November 16, 1957 at St. Mary's Church in Naplate; he passed away January 24, 2004. Mary Lou worked as a bookkeeper for the majority of her life, working at a number of businesses. She worked at H&R Block during the latter part of her career, until she opened her own tax business. After retirement, she worked at the office for St. Columba Church and was a volunteer at CHO and Reruns. Mary Lou loved to travel and shop, but her true joy in life was doting on her grandchildren. She is survived by two daughters, Mary Lynne (Mike) Chambliss of Ottawa and Juli (Mike) Griffin of Flint, TX; nine grandchildren, Eric (Nicole Ferguson), Jessica, and Brad Chambliss (Hope Mandersheid), Ryan Collins, Kaitlyn (Jon Reynolds) Elko, and Amanda, Joshua, Brittany, and Tim Griffin; four siblings, Florence Stricklin, Chuck (Marlene Stillwell) Geiger, Ginny Jackson and Joe Preci; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and brothers, Edmund Geiger and Eugene Preci. Pallbearers will be her grandsons. Memorials may be directed to the St. Columba Building Restoration Fund.