Belleville police release funeral procession route for Marine killed in crash

The Belleville Police Department has released the funeral procession route for Capt. Eleanor “Ellie” LeBeau Cooke, one of three U.S. Marines killed in the crash of a hybrid military aircraft last month in Australia.

The route begins at St. Peter’s Cathedral Catholic Church in downtown Belleville and concludes at Mount Carmel Cemetery at 10101 W. Main St.

“Residents and motorists should expect long delays along West Main Street from Downtown to West Belleville on Saturday around midday. Motorists should avoid the area during this time,” the department said in a statement.

Police officers will provide an escort for the procession, according to Belleville Police Lt. Col. Mark Heffernan.

Here is the processional route:

• South Third Street northbound to West A Street

• West A Street westbound to West Main Street

• West Main Street westbound to Mount Carmel Cemetery

Additionally, West Garfield Street between South Second and South Third Streets and South Third Street between West Garfield and West Harrison will be closed beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday until the procession clears the area of the Cathedral.

Volunteers have lined the route with American flags.

Cooke, who used her maiden name of LeBeau in the Marines, was one of two pilots of an MV-22B Osprey that crashed on Aug. 27. She was 29.

Cooke’s obituary has been published by George Renner & Sons Funeral Home in Belleville. She attended Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville and Murray State University in Kentucky. She joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2018.

The visitation is from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at George Renner & Sons Funeral Home at 120 N. Illinois St. in Belleville.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Peter’s Cathedral Catholic Church in Belleville with the procession to follow.