Amelia Mattingly

CAIRO, Ill. -- Amelia Mary "Miji" Mattingly, 87, of Cairo passed away Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, surrounded by her loving family while on sojourn in Campbell, Calif.

She is survived by two brothers, John and Nick, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Bill; a sister, Constance; and parents William B. and Constance Dahm Mattingly.

With a passion for trendsetting fashion, the diminutive and exotic Miji studied design at the Art Institute in Chicago. She often wore vibrant colors and striking styles, and created many bold window displays for Macy's and Marshall Fields while living in New York and Chicago. A champion for the worker, Miji used her exuberant personality to organize laborers as well as to fight for social justice during the racial riots.

She returned to Cairo in the late 1960s to work alongside her mother on residential and business interior design projects throughout Southern Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky.

Appreciative of the finer things in life, they also owned an antique and secondhand retail business. Their family home, formerly on 7th Street, was once filled with fine furniture and art work, including paintings by her former husband, Al Rudus.

Miji moved to the Connel F. Smith Building in 1995, and from her sixth-floor window, enjoyed watching the barges make their way down the Ohio River. She was a frequent visitor to Shemwell's and the Nu Diner, where she loved to engage in lively conversations with friends, always contributing a witty comment on current affairs.

There was no service.

Darling Fischer Campbell Memorial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

The family welcomes friends to post pictures, stories and memories on her memorial website at www.darlingandfischercampbellmemorialchapel.com.

We would especially be pleased to have more information on the current locations or owners of any items once belonging to the Mattinglys, as they are avid collectors of genealogical information and family lore. Please send the information through the above website or call Kathy or John Mattingly at 408-378-2355. Photos and letters also can be mailed to them at 2287 Middletown Drive, Campbell, CA, 95008.