Delores Jean Mercer

Delores Jean Mercer, 75, of Bowling Green, passed away Sunday, October 8, 2023 at St. Joseph West Hospital in Lake St. Louis, Missouri. Funeral services for Delores will be held Friday, October 13, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Nazarene Church in Bowling Green with Rev. Cole Branstetter officiating. Burial will be in Green Lawn Cemetery in Bowling Green. Visitation will be Thursday, October 12th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Bibb-Veach Funeral Homes & Crematory in Bowling Green. Delores was born June 19, 1948 in St. Charles, Missouri to Everett Kush Sr. and Sara Solomon Kush. Delores was married to Charles McElhaney from 1968 to 1973. She married Joe Cunningham on July 6, 1975. Joe passed away on September 20, 2001. Delores later married Darrell Mercer on April 2, 2005. He passed away October 12, 2012. Delores grew up in the St. Louis area and graduated from Central High School. She moved to Bowling Green in 1986, where she remained the rest of her life. Delores had been an active member of the Church of the Nazarene in Bowling Green since 1986, where she served as a Sunday School teacher and a church board member. Delores was the assistant to the principal at Continued Education, an alternative school in St. Louis for pregnant teens, from 1972 to 1988. In 1989 she went to work at NECAC in Bowling Green as an Administrative Assistant. She later went to work at Division of Family Services as a case manager until injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident which resulted in her early retirement. Delores was famous for her chocolate chip cookies and she loved baking them for everyone. She also liked to spend her free time reading, writing, and scrolling Facebook, but ultimately her grandchildren were her favorite pastime. Delores is survived by children: Melissa McElhaney, Kelly (William “Bill”) Rhoades, Melinda (Phillip “Andy”) Leonard, Rocky Cunningham, Shaun (Laurie) Mercer, Kimberly Johnson, Kyle (Kristy) Mercer, Dewayne McElhaney, and Christopher McElhaney; grandchildren: Tevye, Marisa (Billy), Isabella, Aidan, Delaney, Cash, Amber (Scott), Ryan (Kim), Chase (Kali), Austin, Logan, AJ, Kalen, Darrell, Áine, Amara, Keagan, Drew (Jordahn), and Shawn (Katie); great-grandchilden: Wiatt, Neveah, Autumn, Paiyton Jo, Rilynn, Parker, Cruz, and Jaxon; brother, Everett (Jeannie) Kush Jr.; and best friend of 68 years, Joan Hedrick; along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and Sara; husbands, Joe and Darrell; sisters, Alice Nelson and Evelyn “Carol” Crawford; brother-in-laws, Phil Nelson and Sam Crawford; son, Ron Cunningham; daughter, Rhonda Cunningham; and granddaughter, Mattea Pettyjohn. Pallbearers will be Everett Kush, Bill Rhoades, Andy Leonard, Billy Angelo, Aidan Schmidt, Cash Rhoades, Teyve Schmidt, and Rocky Cunningham. Honorary pallbearers will be Cliff Hedrick, Shaun Mercer, Kyle Mercer, Brian Kush Sr., Jeff Crawford, Sam Crawford Jr., and Kevin Stumbaugh.. Memorials may be made to the family to be used for the grandchildren.

Delores Jean Mercer

June 19, 1948 - October 8, 2023