Monthly Archives

January 2018

Aurora M. Jenkins, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa L

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Aurora M. Jenkins, age 87, of Ottawa, passed away Monday morning, January 22, 2018 at Aperion Care in Marseilles.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:30 p.m. Friday, January 26, 2018 at St. Columba Church with Father Corey Krengiel officiating.  Entombment will follow in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum in Oakwood Memorial Park.  Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. till 7:00 p.m. Thursday at Gladfelter Funeral Home with a prayer service at 3:45 p.m.

Aurora was born May 4, 1930 in Laredo, TX, the daughter of James and Petra Galvan.  She married John G. Jenkins in 1975 in Morris, IL.  He survives.  Aurora was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Angelina Galvan.

Aurora was a member of St. Columba Church.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the family.

Aurora has been laid to rest in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Love.

Esther “Essie” Crawford, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Esther “Essie” Crawford, 87, of Naplate passed away Friday, January 19, 2018 at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00am Wednesday January 24, 2018 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Ottawa with Rev. David Kipfer officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday 4:00 to 7:00pm with Prayers at 3:45pm at the Ottawa Funeral Home and Crematory. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park .

Esther was born January 23, 1930 in Naplate, to Achille and Minallia (Gotti) Giacomini. She married Richard Crawford on August 12, 1948 in Ottawa, he passed awayMay 1, 2006.

Esther retired from the Daily Times. She was a member of St. Mary’s Church in Naplate, the Altar and Rosary Society, and a member of the Angel Squad.

She is survived by four daughters, Dena Seibert, Barb Cheli, Janet Crawford and Missy Crawford (her favorite) all of Naplate; two grandchildren, Carrie (Steve) Kubisztal and Michael Seibert; five great grandchildren, Paxson, Maddie and Macy Bentz, Ashley and Kyle Kubisztal

She is preceded in death by her husband, Richard; her parents; a son-in-law, Tim Seibert; two brothers, Paul and Harpo Giacomini and; two sisters, Norma Giacomini and Irma Odum.

Esther was the most selfless, kind and gentle woman to everyone. She never knew a stranger, everyone loved her. Esther loved sitting on her porch on a warm summer day watching the hummingbirds and visiting with her friends and neighbors. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were her world and she was theirs. She was committed to her family and will be missed by many…

Pallbearers will be Michael Seibert, Paxson Bentz, Steve and Kyle Kubisztal, Tom, Tommy and Chad Nanouski

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Esther has been laid to rest in the Garden of Hymns.

Gladys Fessler, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Gladys Fessler, 84, of Ottawa passed away Thursday, January 18, 2018 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center.

Funeral Ceremony will be held at 2:30 pm Monday, January 22, 2018 at First Baptist Church with Pastor Deming Ralph officiating. Visitation will be 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday, prior to services, at Ottawa Funeral Home. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park.

Gladys was born September 25, 1933 in Blackfork, Arkansas to Early and Willie (Cline) Churchill. She married Samuel Keith Fessler on December 12, 1953 in Heavener, Oklahoma and made her home with him in Marseilles at first and then in Ottawa where she resided for 61 years. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a devoted member of First Baptist Church of Ottawa since 1965 and a member of Oladine Wood Guild. There wasn’t a child that knew her that didn’t call her mom or grandma.

She is survived by her daughters, Janet (Kenneth) Hampson, Kathy (Jeff) Donahue, Vicki (Johnny) Rodgers; sisters, Lois (James) Smedley, three grandchildren, Jeremy (Amanda) Fessler, Jesse (Andrea) Donahue, and Karla (Matt) Goetsch; eight great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband; her son, Eric Fessler; her parents; three brothers, Clinton Churchill, Clifford and Bobby both in infancy; and four sisters, Violet (Louie) Adair, Irene (Woodrow) Tedder, Marjorie McGuffin, and Wilma (Wilburn) Prince.

Pallbearers will be Kenneth Hampson, Jeff Donahue, Johnny Rodgers, Jeremy Fessler, Jesse Donahue, and Matt Goetsch.

Honorary pallbearer will be Timothy Bayer Jr.

Memorials may be directed to her family.

Gladys has been laid to rest in the Garden of Psalms.

Joyce Jett Hermann, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Joyce Jett Hermann, 91, of Ottawa, died on Monday morning, January 15, 2018 at the Ottawa Pavilion. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, January 22, 2018 at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa, with Rev. Carolyn Lukasick, Pastor, of Epworth United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. on Monday, at the funeral home.

Joyce was born on December 19, 1926 in Ottawa to Guy and Irene (Gillum) Stone. She marriedGeorge Russell Jett, Sr. in 1946 and he passed in 1995. She married Daryl Hermann in 1996 and he passed in August, 2001. Joyce loved to swim and exercise at the YMCA and also enjoyed going to Pot Lucks at the local churches with her friends.

She is survived by 3 sons, George (Mary Ann) Jett, Jr., of Beaver Falls, PA, Richard (Betsy) Jett, of Lily Lake, IL, and Michael Jett, of IL, 8 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, a brother, Tom (Jane) Downing, of Batavia, a sister, Joan Ward, of Mountain Home, AR, and two stepsons, Ronald and Steven Hermann.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband George, her husband, Daryl, 4 brothers, 4 sisters, and a stepson Marvin Hermann.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Joyce has been laid to rest in the Garden of Psalms.

Shirley Neff, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Shirley Neff, 67, of Ottawa, passed away Thursday, October 22, 2009 at her home with her beloved husband by her side, after a lengthy illness. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM, Tuesday October 27, 2009 at Ottawa Funeral Home with the Rev. Dale Katcher, Hospice Chaplin, officiating. Cremation rites were accorded.  Inurnment will be at a later date in Oakwood Memorial Park.

Shirley was born November 1, 1941, in Chicago, IL to Herman and Pearl (Konz) Lauer. She was raised by her mother, Meta Lauer. She married Bruce Neff April 22, 1984 in Wauconda, IL and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. They returned to Ottawa in 2005 to be with their family.

Shirley Volunteered at Ottawa Regional Hospital in the Home Health/Hospice department and was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church in Ottawa.

She is survived by her Husband, Bruce; one daughter Michelle (Don) Vrtis of Ottawa; one son, Mark (Janelle) Foster of New Jersey; six grandchildren, Chris, Amy, and Eric Vrtis, and Rachel, Jacob, and Samantha Foster; her mother, Meta Lauer of Chicago, IL and one sister, Cecile Lauer.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Pearl Lauer.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Shirley has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Last Supper.

Bruce Anthony Neff, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Bruce Anthony Neff, 78, passed from this life on Friday, January 12 surrounded by loved ones at Arden Courts of Whippany, New Jersey.

Chapel services will be 1:00 pm Monday, January 22, 2018 at Oakwood Memorial Park with Pastor David Daniel officiating. Ottawa Funeral Home assisted with local services.

Bruce was the youngest son of eight children born to the late Anthony and Frances (Lorbecki) Neff. His hobbies included woodworking, motorcycles, and camping.
He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Shirley (Lauer) Neff in 2009.

He is survived by his stepson, Mark Foster and his wife Janelle of New Jersey; his stepdaughter, Michelle Root and her husband Matthew of Florida; and his dear grandchildren, Christopher Vrtis, Amy Vrtis and her fiancée Tobias Scholz, Eric Vrtis, Stephanie Batterson, Rachel Foster, Jacob Foster, Samantha Foster, and Charlize Foster.

Bruce has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Last Supper.

Bruce Thorson, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Bruce Thorson, 58, of Ottawa, died Saturday night, January 6, at Community Nursing and Rehab Center in Naperville. Service will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 11, at Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church in Ottawa, with Rev. Tim Johnson, Pastor, officiating.  Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park in Ottawa. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa, and from 10 a.m. until 10:50 a.m. prior to the services at the church on Thursday.

Bruce was born on Nov. 21, 1959, in Ottawa to Richard and Thelma (Brue) Thorson.  He was a Graduate of Ottawa Township High School, Class of ’78.  He studied and graduated as a certified mechanic at Lincoln Technical in Des Moines, Iowa.   He worked at Snap-On, Norem Buick and served as the custodian at Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church.  He was a woodworker and loved the outdoors… fishing, gardening, bicycling, motorcycling and sitting by the fire.

He is survived by his father, Richard of Ottawa, a brother, Paul (Teresa) Thorson of Geneva, 2 sisters; Martha Jacobs of Seatonville and Rosemary Thorson of Ottawa, 3 nieces, Amanda Thorson of Chicago, Brittney (Justin) Wegener of Yorkville and Ellen Jacobs of Seatonville and one nephew Jacob Thorson of Ottawa.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Thelma and his brother-in-law, Joe Jacobs.

Pallbearers will be:  Thomas Thorson, Wayne and Kevin Alsvig,  Terald Brue, David Marten, and Jim Thoms.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church in care of Bruce Thorson.

Bruce has been laid to rest in the Garden of Devotion.

Donald A. Warrick, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Donald A. Warrick, 66, of Ottawa passed away Saturday, December 30, 2017 at Morris Hospital.

Visitation will be held from 2 – 5 pm, Saturday, January 6, 2018 at Ottawa Funeral Home. Cremation rites will follow. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park at a later date.

Don was born June 17, 1951 in Fort Dix, New Jersey to Samuel and Birdie Jane (Beguin) Warrick. He graduated from Mesa High School in 1969. He loved fishing and playing any and all kinds of games. He was a member of the Farm Bureau.

He is survived by his son, Steve (Maryellen) Warrick of Virginia; his daughter, Aimee Sherman of Ladd; two grandsons, Morgan and Simon; three sisters, Pamela Mitchell of Springfield, Debra (Mark) Cline of Harrah, Oklahoma; and Linda (James) Tri of Ottawa; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Don has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Last Supper.

Richard Dennis, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Richard Dennis, 76, of Ottawa died on Saturday morning, January 6, at his home surrounded by his family.  Funeral Services will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 10, in the Mueller Funeral Homein Ottawa. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park.  Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Richard was born on Feb. 14, 1941 in Ottawa to Edward E. and Marie (Anderson) Dennis.  He was employed in maintenance at Pleasant View and owned Rich’s Handyman Service.  He married Sally Katrein on Feb. 22, 1958 in the Rectory at St. Columba Church.  He was a member of American Legion Post 33, and Ottawa Moose Lodge 960.

He is survived by his wife, Sally, and 5 children, James Richard (Colleen) Dennis, of Ottawa, Debbie Dennis, of St. Matthews,  South Carolina, Denise (Lenny) Deckard, of Marseilles, Steven (Donna) Dennis of Greenville, Ohio , and Diana Dennis, of Marseilles, 9 grandchildren: Jason, Melissa, Michael, Amber, Sarah, John, Jacob, Jeniel, and Lindsay, 21 great-grandchildren, and 2 sisters, Beverly Warren, of Ottawa, and Cathy Sue Kincade, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one son, Richard, 2 brothers, one sister, a brother in infancy, one grandson, and one great-granddaughter. Pallbearers will be his grandsons.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Richard has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Last Supper.

Alice Rowe, Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa IL

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Alice Rowe, 95, of rural Ottawa died Saturday evening, January 6, at her home.  Funeral Services will be at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 9, in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, in Oakwood Memorial Park, in Ottawa.  The  Rev. Cheri Stewart, Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Ottawa, will officiate.   Visitation will be at the time of Services.  Arrangements are through the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa.

Alice was born on Jan. 13, 1922, in Ottawa to Charles and Alice (Bigford) Ohlendorf.  She married Edward Rowe on July 21, 1940 at the Presbyterian Manse in Ottawa.  She was a devoted member of the First United Methodist Church.  Alice loved to care for her son, Tom.  She also loved gardening, canning, and cooking.

Alice was preceded in death by her husband, Edward, a son, Thomas, and a son in infancy.

Memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church.

Alice has been laid to rest in the Garden of Inspiration.