Birdie Conant

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- Birdie D. Conant, 87, of Villa Ridge died Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

She was born Aug. 30, 1928, in Massac County, Illinois, the daughter of Ed and Birdie (Morehead) Douglas. She married Roger Conant on Nov. 25, 1948. He preceded her in death Feb. 29, 2004.

Birdie worked and retired from Meridian School as a bookkeeper. She had such a passion for animals that she operated Second Hand Angels until her health forced her to quit in December 2014. She and Roger also owned and operated Scattered Acres Farms, and they loved boating at The Moors at Kentucky Lake on the "Birdie D. America, IL." In her spare time, Birdie loved gardening and flowers. She attended Shiloh Baptist Church.

Survivors include her daughter, Linda Davis of Jackson; daughter-in-law, Janice Conant of Villa Ridge; granddaughters, Kimberly Conant of Greenville, South Carolina, and Rebecca (Neil) Pullum of Essex, Missouri; grandsons, Marty Davis and Drew Davis, both of McClure, Illinois; great-grandson, Tyler Davis of McClure; special friend, Carolyn Miller; sister-in-law, Gayle Conant; nieces; nephews; many friends; and her very special four-legged friends.

She was preceded in death by her son, Gordon Conant, in 2009. After her mother died during childbirth, she was raised by Maggie and Gordon Conant; sisters, Jennie English, Wilma Thomas, Calista Evans and Freda Lowery; and adopted sisters, Glenna Badgley, Alice Denney, Helen Walter and Nila Faubion.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Crain Funeral Home in Ullin, Illinois.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Revs. Larry Miller and Buddy Walls officiating. Interment will follow at Green Lawn Memorial Gardens.

Memorial may be made to UCAC, a local no-kill animal shelter, at 385 Kaolin Road, Cobden, Illinois, and will be accepted at the funeral home.

Crain Funeral Home in Ullin is in charge of arrangements.

To leave online condolences, visit crainsonline.com.