Mark Abel Obituary, Death – Mark Abel, 61 years old, passed away at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Crystal City, Missouri, on March 23, 2011. He was the son of the late Harold Chris and Anna Mae (Dumbauld) Abel and was born on February 8, 1950, in St. Louis, Missouri. His mother predeceased him. He attended high school in Festus, Missouri, and later received his degree from the University of Missouri, which is located in Columbia, Missouri.
Mark Rich was joined in marriage to Cheryl Rich on September 18, 1995, in the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. Cheryl Rich is still alive and resides at their current residence. In the beginning of his career, he was an employee at Abel’s Sinclair Station, which was located on Main Street in Festus. Later on, he became the owner and operator of Mark C. Abel Insurance Agency. The Festus City Treasurer position was where he got his start in the political arena, which would go on to span more than 25 years.
Later on, he ran for and won a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives, where he was a member for a total of six terms, beginning in 1985 and ending in 2004. During his time in the House of Representatives, he held the positions of Speaker Pro Tem and Minority Leader in addition to chairing a number of other committees. Mark was a contributor to the formulation of several pieces of economic development legislation, including the Access to Higher Education Act, the Missouri Senior Prescription Drug Program, and others. He was acting in his capacity as Treasurer of Jefferson County at the time.
In addition to his wife Cheryl, Mark is survived by his step-daughter Melinda Contryman of St. Louis, Missouri; his step-son Darron Contryman of Tokyo, Japan; his granddaughter Zoe Contryman of St. Louis, Missouri; his niece Elizabeth Mouser (husband Rob) of Herculaneum, Missouri; his nephew Larry “Chris” Abel of Festus, Missouri; and his four brothers-in-law Kent Rich of Jefferson City, Missouri; William “S In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by both of his brothers: Stephen H. Abel, who passed away when he was still a little child, and Larry Vernon Abel.
On Friday, April 1, 2011, at four o’clock in the afternoon, a memorial service will be held in honor of Mark at Frederick’s Catering Center, which is located at 201 East Main Street in Festus, Missouri. Festus’s Presbyterian and Methodist Cemeteries will be the location of a private interment service.