Mary Varble

Mary Kaye (Plogger) Varble, 69, of Jerseyville, passed away peacefully on September 27, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri, surrounded by her loving family.

Mary Kaye was born on July 30, 1957, in Carrollton, Illinois, to Hal and Edna (Vinyard) Plogger. She was raised in a small farmhouse outside of Rockbridge with her 7 brothers and 5 sisters, where she learned the importance of hard work and service to others through daily farm chores and caring for her siblings.

Mary Kaye always had entertaining stories to share about growing up in a large family and cherished the bonds she had with her sisters and brothers. Mary Kaye graduated from Greenfield High School as a member of the Class of 1975. In 1979, Mary Kaye met the love of her life, Michael (Zip) Varble, during the Greene County Fair. From that point forward, they did everything together. They married on August 22, 1980, in Greenfield and settled down in Carrollton.

Mary Kaye and Mike started their family in 1982, when their son, Andrew, was born. Their daughter, Jenna, arrived shortly thereafter, completing their family. Mary Kaye loved her children deeply and unconditionally, always making sure they had everything they needed. She was their number one fan, proudly supporting them and never missing a sporting event or band concert. When Jenna married, Mary Kaye happily welcomed her son-in-law, Mitch, to the family.

Mary Kaye was blessed with four wonderful grandchildren: Simon, Ellie, Athen, and Lilly. Her grandchildren were the center of her world. Once she became “Nana,” the rules she had put in place for her own children no longer applied. For her grandchildren, she always had the best snacks, the most entertaining activities, and countless sleepovers. When she took them to the store, “no” was rarely used as an answer to her beloved grandchildren’s shopping requests. They were by far her greatest blessing, and she was happy to share stories of her grandkids with anyone she came upon. When Mary Kaye wasn’t spending time with her grandkids, you could find her outside mowing her yard (or a neighbor’s), sitting on her back patio enjoying the peaceful sounds of the evening, or on her weekly Friday night date with Mike. She found time once a month to catch up with the “57/75 Girls” for a night out, reminiscing about their high school days and sharing updates on their lives.

Her work days were spent traveling the roads of Eldred, Hardin, and Hamburg as a United States Postal Service rural mail carrier. She quickly became friends with almost everyone on her mail route. She took pride in her job, and her dedication to her customers was well-known. Mary Kaye’s mail route and her customers brought her a tremendous amount of joy, and it was easily the second love of her life, behind her family.

Throughout her life, Mary Kaye showed compassion and kindness to everyone she met. Sometimes, it was through the small gestures–a warm smile and a wave, or simply taking a moment to stop and have a quick chat. Whether it was a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or even a stranger in need, Mary Kaye was always ready to jump in and help in any way she could. True to who she was, she continued to think of others until the very end. Even with her last breath, she was still giving and helping others by becoming an organ donor.

She is survived by her husband, Mike Varble of Jerseyville; two children, Andrew Varble of Wood River and her daughter and son-in- law, Jenna and Mitch Zipprich of Jerseyville; four grandchildren, Simon, Ellie, Athen, and Lilly Zipprich; her siblings, Kenny Plogger of Greenfield, Sherry White of Greenfield, Linda (Tom) Prough of Carrollton, Bob (Pam) Plogger of Greenfield, John (Becky) Plogger of Rockbridge, Mick (Janis) Plogger of Rockbridge, Ron (Jan) Plogger of Greenfield, Dan (Kim) Plogger of Fenton, and Jeanne (David) Steinacher of Carrollton. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Debra Elhoffer and Barbara Teaney; a brother, William (Billy) Plogger; a nephew, Nicholas Plogger; two nieces, Bobbi Jo Waters and Lisa Plogger; and a great-niece, Emily Chaudoin.

Memorial Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m., Wednesday, October 7 at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Jerseyville. Private inurnment will take place at a later date.

Memorials may be given to St. Francis/Holy Ghost Catholic School, in care of the funeral home. Memories may be shared with the family by visiting www.crawfordfunerals.com

Obit Provided By:
Crawford Funeral Home