Category Archives: Recent Obituaries

Recent Obituaries: Shirley Jeanean Chaney

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Shirley Jeanean Chaney

Shirley Jeanean Chaney, 85, of Mattoon, formerly of Allenville, passed away at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 22, 2021 in Palm Terrace, Mattoon.

Celebration of Life services will be 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan with Pastor Bob Vail officiating. Burial will be in French Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Memorials are suggested to French Cemetery or donor’s choice. Online condolences may be made to the family at reedfuneralhome.net.
Miss Cheney was born May 15, 1936 in Allenville, the daughter of Logan and Carrie Spaugh Chaney. Shirley had worked at CCAR in Charleston.
Survivors include her niece Carol Lawson of Windsor; sister-in-law Dorothy Chaney of Allenville and numerous other nieces and nephews.

She was preceded death by her parents, three brothers and five sisters.

Recent Obituaries: Ellen Bernius

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Ellen Bernius

Ellen L. Bernius, 49, of Windsor, passed away at 11:02 a.m. Wednesday, May 19, 2021 in Decatur Memorial Hospital.

Celebration of Life services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan with Pastor Tim Henderson officiating.  Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m Sunday afternoon.  Memorials are suggested to Moultrie County PAWS.  Online condolences may be made to the family at reedfuneralhome.net.
Ellen was born November 12, 1971 in Decatur, Illinois, the daughter of Gary Winskill and Chung Cha “Ann” Rohman.  She was the owner and operator of The Flower Pot Floral & Boutique in Sullivan.  Ellen married Mike Bernius on July 5, 1991 at the Eagle Creek Resort, rural Findlay and he survives.
Also surviving are her Fur Babies Bodie, Panda, Peanut, Reina, Little Mama, Ellie Mae and Axle; mother Ann Rohman of Sullivan; father and mother Gary and Eve Winskill of Paris, Illinois; brother Bob (Dawn) Winskill of Shelbyville; mother-in-law Lynda Marlow of Sullivan; nieces, Lacey Foil of Shelbyville, Madison Winskill of Arthur, Kayla Hodge of Arthur and Nora Bernius of Sullivan; nephews Mitchell Bernius of Norman, Oklahoma, Mason Bernius of Sullivan, Tyler Winskill of Decatur and Maverick Tinnon of Arthur; God Children Nevaeh Cline of Dallas Texas and Mike’elle Marshall of Decatur.

She was preceded in death by her sister Corrina and her paternal and maternal grandparents.

Recent Obituaries: John Booker

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John Booker
John D. Booker, 86, of Lovington passed away 9:59 a.m. Tuesday, May 11, 2021, at his home in Lovington.
Graveside services will be held 3:00 p.m. Thursday, May 13, 2021 at Keller Cemetery, Lovington. McMullin-Young Funeral Home, is in care of the arrangements. Memorials may be made to the Experimental Aircraft Association.
John was born September 10, 1934, in Sullivan; the son of Virgil and Stella May (Hughes) Booker. He married Joyce A. (Harlin) Morgan on September 8, 1978 in Sullivan; she preceded him in death on October 1, 2010. John served in the United States Navy. He was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Lovington VFW. He was an aircraft enthusiast and enjoyed wood working and car restoration. John taught his grandchildren how to repair and work on vehicles. He was a Boy Scout Leader in Lovington for many years. John lived a full life and loved, mostly, every minute of it.
He is survived by his children, Vicki Binder of Sullivan, Eric (Mary Jo) Booker of Pine River, WI, and Dan (Jenny) Booker of Beaver Dam, WI; step-daughter, Rhonda (Bill) Schiller of Zion; brother, Roger (Pat) Booker of Oklahoma City, OK. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, 1 brother and 1 sister.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mcmullinyoung.com

Recent Obituaries: Barbara Anne Maynard

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Barbara Anne Maynard
Barbara Anne Maynard, 85, of Sullivan passed away 6:08 a.m. Friday, May 7, 2021, at St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur.
Graveside services will be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at Greenhill Cemetery, Sullivan. McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan, is in care of the arrangements. Memorials may be made to Moultrie County Illinois PAWs:10 Leisure Acres, Sullivan, 61951
Barbara was born February 17, 1936, in Pumpkin Center, IN, she was raised by her grandparents, Gordon and Eula Dale Holmes. She married John Wayne Maynard in Quincy, he preceded her in death on April 1, 2018. She enjoyed her cats and going to rummage sales. Barbara loved spending time with her grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughters, Debbie (Charlie) Martin of Sullivan; Robin Kay Childers of Sullivan; grandchildren, Andy Woolen of Sullivan, Camille (Juan) Repollet of Orlando, FL, and Brook (Derek) Sauder of Oreana; She is also survived by 1 great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, husband and one son-in-law, Alan Childers.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mcmullinyoung.com

Recent Obituaries: Wilma White

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Wilma White
Wilma L. White, 93, of Lovington, passed away at 9:19 p.m. Thursday April 22, 2021 in St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
Celebration of Life services will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday in the Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan with Pastor Rodney Houser officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. until service time. Burial will be in the Keller Cemetery, Lovington. Memorials are suggested to the Lovington Ambulance Service. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net. Please wear face masks and practice social distancing for the visitation and funeral.
Wilma was born February 6, 1928 in Monroe County, Kentucky, the daughter of Joseph and Bertha Temple Napier. She had worked at Switchcraft in Sullivan. Wilma married Wirt L. White on November 3, 1945 in Franklin, Kentucky and he preceded her in death on August 17, 2019.
Surviving is her son Harold White of Lovington; brother Harold Napier of Lafayette, Louisiana; sister Mildred Kringle of White House, Tennessee; grandchildren Harold White, Jr. of Florida, Walter Lynn White of Windsor, Sean Louis White of Sweetwater, Tennessee, Angela Lynette Welker of Arthur, Jarod White of Clinton and Zac White of Auburn; great grandchildren Dayton White, Aaron White, Ariel Kibler, Jaxon White, Briggs White, Logan White, Wade White, Gracyln White, Hadlynn White and Tayson White.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Terry, eight brothers and two sisters.

Recent Obituaries: Lawrence Brown

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Lawrence Brown

Lawrence E. Brown, 91, of Bethany, passed away, 10:50 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2021, at his home in Bethany.
Graveside services will be held 3:00 p.m. Monday, April 26, 2021, at Marrowbone Township Cemetery, Bethany, with Military Rites by the Bethany American Legion Post #507. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Bethany. McMullin-Young Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements.
Lawrence was born November 5, 1929, in McNabb, the son of Clyde and Mildred (Dunn) Brown. He served in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. He worked at the IL Power Company in Decatur in the Forestry Department for 40 years. Lawrence married Darlene A. Brand on October 7, 1951, in Winona, MN; she survives. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Bethany and the Bethany American Legion Post #507. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and horse shoe pitching. Lawrence loved watching his grandson’s sports games and traveling.
He is survived by his wife, Darlene of Bethany; daughter, Cindy (Norm) Yoder of Bethany; grandsons, Brandon (fiancé Samantha Vogel) Yoder of Bethany and Dustin (fiancé Keziah) Yoder of Cape Girardeau, MO; sisters, Maxine Robinson of Bloomington and Helen Jane (Jack) Brown of Long Creek. He is also survived by several cherished nieces and nephews.
Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Richard Brown and sister, Hazel Davis.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mcmullinyoung.com

Recent Obituaries: Leslie Banks

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Arthur resident Lesley (Otto) Banks died April 17, 2021, in the presence of loving family.  She was born in Decatur, Illinois, on October 30, 1964.

She was immensely proud of her daughter, Aerielle Brianne (Banks) Wood and son-in-law, John-Tyler Wood of Troy, Illinois.  She is also survived by her sister, Julie A. Michl of Arthur, one nephew, David James Michl of Arthur, Uncle David Neil Lewis of Terre Haute, Aunt Charlene Gorby in San Antonio, Texas, cousin Vickie L. Henry and her family, Claire, Lucy, and George Humphrey of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and cousins Steve Hoffner, Mike Hoffner, Jil Gorby and Cindy Streiby.

Banks was preceded in death by her parents, David E. Otto and Marjorie Ann Lewis Otto, Aunts Patricia Kay Lewis, and Patricia Hoffner, Uncles George Leatherman and Jack Gorby and her grandparents.

Banks graduated from Arthur High School in 1982 and from Illinois State University in 1986 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Education and Political Science. Banks taught high school English and Journalism for 34 years in Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma. She retired from Sullivan High School in 2019. Her passion for being an educator was clear and she cared deeply for each student she had the opportunity of teaching, even the ones who gave her a few extra grey hairs. She was especially proud when her students won national awards for their yearbooks and newspapers.

In her honor, she encourages everyone to revisit her favorite books, The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman, and King Lear; read a real newspaper; or contemplate the teachings of Thoreau.

Memorials are requested to the Arthur Southern Baptist Church, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society.    

A memorial visitation will be held Saturday, May 1, 2021, at Shrader Funeral Home in Arthur, Illinois, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM with a celebration of life service starting at 3:00 PM. Interment will immediately follow at the Arthur Cemetery.

Those attending the services are asked to bring their favorite memory to share with the family, especially her students.

Due to recent Covid 19 restrictions, face masks and social distancing are required. 

Online condolences to the family may be sent to www.hilligossshraderfh.com

Recent Obituaries: Lonnie Bly

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Lonnie Bly

Lonnie Dale Bly, 50, of Shelbyville, IL passed away at 6:48 p.m. Monday, April 19, 2021 in HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, Shelbyville, IL.
Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. – noon, Saturday, April 24, 2021 at Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville, IL. Memorials may be given to Shelbyville Jr. Wrestling Program. Arrangements are by Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville, IL.
Lonnie was born on June 19, 1970 in Shelbyville, IL, the son of Bob Hoover and Judith Darlene Wheeler. He attended Shelbyville High and was a member of the Class of 1988. Lonnie enjoyed repairing and building things, and worked as a carpenter and handyman.
Lonnie is survived by his sons, Cody Bly (Madyson) of Shelbyville, IL and Dalton Bly of Bethany, IL; daughters, Gatlynn Williams (Isaiah) of Shelbyville, IL, and Savannah Gibbons (Travis Palmer) of Sullivan, IL; father, Ralph Bly of Shelbyville, IL; brothers, Nathan Bly (Krissy) of Shelbyville, IN, Adam Bly of Shelbyville, IL, Derrick Bly (Daphney) of Shelbyville, IL, and Levi Hoover of Cowden, IL; sister, Becky Hoover of Cowden, IL; grandchildren, Hudson, Paisley, Everett, Talula, Silas, and Maylee; niece, Mayleigh; and special friend Nicki Haney.
He was preceded in death by mother, Judith Darlene Wheeler; grandmother, Lois Jean (Wheat) Wheeler; and grandfather, James Leo Wheeler. Send condolences at www.howeandyockey.com

Recent Obituaries: Ryan Hess

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Ryan Hess
Ryan Shane Hess, 35, of Sullivan, passed away, 5:39 p.m. Thursday, March 11, 2021, at his home in Sullivan.
Memorial services will be held 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Face masks are suggested and please practice social distancing for the services. Memorials may be made to Moultrie County Illinois PAWS: 10 Leisure Acres, Sullivan, IL 61951
Ryan was born July 29, 1985, in Decatur, the son of James Steven Hess and Rhonda (Coy) Creek. He loved going to Bonnaroo and spending time with his family and friends. Ryan was a strong advocate for Equal Rights. He enjoyed attending Nursing School and was two months from graduating as a Registered Nurse, he truly had a passion for caring for those who were in need. Ryan loved his dog Bella dearly.
He is survived by his father, Jim Hess of Sullivan; mother, Rhonda Creek of Toledo; brother, Travis Hess of Cerro Gordo; sister, Erica (John) Czeckanski of Mt. Zion; nieces and nephews, Hailee Shick, Tyler (Alaina) Shick, Dylan Hess, Ashton Sides and Layne Hess; great-nieces, Blakleigh and Lyla. He is also survived by his dog Bella, who Ryan loved like his own child.
Ryan was preceded in death by his grandparents, step-father, Richard Creek and uncle, Chuck Hess.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mcmullinyoung.com

Recent Obituaries: Harold Phelps

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Harold Phelps

Harold E. Phelps, 82, of Lovington, IL, passed away at his residence at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 11, 2021.

A celebration of Harold’s life will be held at the First Church of God Family Life Center at 101 N. Washington in Lovington at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 14, 2021. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at the Keller Cemetery with military rites by the Lovington American Legion Post 429. Assisting with the arrangements is Graceland Fairlawn Funeral Home. Pastor Larry Traxler will be officiating.

Harold was born November 11, 1938, in Lovington, IL. He was the son of Delmar and Mary (Woolridge) Phelps. Harold married Mary Jo (Davis) on February 28, 1958. He is survived by his wife and two sons, Tim (Terry) of North Aurora, IL, and Troy (Christie) of Martinsville, IN, grandchildren Marc (Noel) Phelps, Matthew (Mackenzie) Phelps, Kyle (Courtney) Phelps, Kelsey (Jason) Bjork, Jacob (Sady) Cranfill, and Hayley (Chase) Angrick. He also leaves 10 great grandchildren: Chatham, Fisher, Porter, Cooper, Liam, Brock, Blake, Mackenzie, Carter and Ryker. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Delmar, Jr., Donald, and Jerry.

Harold worked at Progress Industries in Arthur, IL; at Bridgestone Firestone in Decatur, and at Sam’s Club in Decatur. Harold served in the Army National Guard for many years. Harold loved sports. For over 40 years he enjoyed refereeing high school basketball and football games. He also umpired baseball for Decatur’s Park District for 10 years.

Harold was an active member of the LaPlace Church of the Brethren, where he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher.

The family requests that memorials be made to the LaPlace Church of the Brethren and the Lovington First Church of God.