Patricia Fombelle

COBDEN, Ill. -- Patricia E. Fombelle, 72, of Cobden died at 1:33 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

She was born June 22, 1945, in Alameda, California, the daughter of Charles and Virginia (Key) Buckley. She married David Fombelle Sept. 5, 1964, in Forsyth, Illinois.

Patricia is survived by her loving husband, David Fombelle of Cobden; son, Bobby (Rose) Fombelle; daughter, Julie (Kurt) Craig; three grandchildren, Jeffrey and Jenna Fombelle and Cole Craig; brother, Mike Buckley; and many other family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Patricia and her husband, David, operated numerous laundromats in Carbondale and Marion, Illinois, back in the 1960s. In 1977 they acquired JoAn Laundry in Anna, Illinois, providing dry cleaning and laundry service to local customers for nearly 30 years.

In the 1980s they began competing in barbecue competitions in Memphis in May with Great Boars of Fire. In 1989 the catering business Great Boars of Fire took off, and they began hosting events from California to St. Louis to Louisiana. They would cook for thousands of players and fans for the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears football teams in post-game meals.

As the success of the catering business grew over the years, they built a lodge in scenic, rural Cobden in 1999. Later, they would open the Blue Boar Restaurant next door to the lodge and, recently, the Wild Hog in Crainville, Illinois.

Funeral service for Patricia E. Fombelle will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna with Pastor Chris Erdmann officiating. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

To leave online condolences for the family, visit www.rendlemanhilemanfh.com.