December 2018

Alyce Rose Erickson, 85, of Ottawa, passed away Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at Ottawa Pavilion.

Funeral Services will be at 10 am, Friday, December 28 at Ottawa Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 pm, Thursday, December 27 at the funeral home. She will be buried at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Alyce was born July 10, 1933 in Ottawa to Walter and Emma (Poutre) Rossiter. She married Daniel Erickson on February 23, 1953; he passed away January 22, 1978. Alyce retired from LaSalle County Nursing Home. She enjoyed bowling, bingo, and spending time wither her family. For many years, you could find her cooking and baking for the weekly extended family get-together.

She is survived by her children, Daniel Erickson and Michelle (Ron) Woodward, both of Ottawa; two grandchildren, Jennifer (Spence) Swanson of Rochester, Minnesota and Tim (Hannah) Woodward of Ottawa; four great-grandchildren, Nate, Claire, and Joel Swanson, and Carson Woodward; two siblings, Jane Mucci and Donald “Diz” Rossiter; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Cynthia Kubinski; two sisters, Evelyn Orsini and Kathleen “Kay” Bumgarner; three brothers, Robert Rossiter, Harold “Toot” Rossiter, Walter “Junie” Rossiter, Jr., and a baby brother in infancy; and two nephews, Dave and Don Mucci.

Pallbearers will be Ron Woodward, Tim Woodward, Spence Swanson, Nate Swanson, Dennis Rossiter, and Marty Wheatland.

Special thanks to the staff of the 400 wing of Ottawa Pavilion for their compassionate care and support.

Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association; 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.

Alyce has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Ten Commandments.

Dorothy L. DeBernardi, 91, of Ottawa passed away Monday, December 17, 2018 at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

Funeral Services will be at 1 pm, Thursday, December 20 at Ottawa Funeral Home, with Rev. Corey Krengiel officiating. Visitation will be from 11 am to 1 pm, prior to the services, at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park.

Dorothy was born December 23, 1926, in Ottawa to Charles and Rose (Veale) Scullin. She married Eugene DeBernardi on May 7, 1947 at St. Columba Church; he passed away September 11, 1990.

Dorothy worked at Value City, Handy Foods, and The Daily Times. She enjoyed going out and having a good time listening to music and dancing. She was a member of St. Francis Church.

She is survived by two children, Marilyn Wheeler and Michael (Debbie) DeBernardi, both of Ottawa; four grandchildren, Eric (Jen) Wheeler, Brian (Amanda) DeBernardi, Breck (Paul) DeBernardi-Craig, and Brant (Brett) DeBernardi; twelve great-grandchildren, Conner, Hannah, Tristan, Amelia, Cabella, Easton, Landry, Darby, Eugenia, Ryne, Hudson, and Maddux; and her special friends, Zeta Conrad, Barb Crowley, and Sandy Justice.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her mother-in-law, Amelia DeBernardi; and her siblings, Charles Scullin and Sharon Hendricks.

Pallbearers will be her grandchildren, Brian, Brant, Breck, and Eric; and her great-grandchildren, Conner and Tristan. Honorary pallbearers will be her great-grandchildren, and her special friend, Tom Hanley.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

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

Shirley Mae Larson, age 81, of Ottawa, passed away Sunday, December 2, 2018 at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 7th at Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home with the Reverend Corey Krengiel officiating.  Entombment will follow in the Shrine of Rest at Oakwood Memorial Park.  Visitation will be from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Shirley was born February 11, 1937 in Ottawa, a daughter of Michael and Edith Eleanor (Grady) Onofrey.  She married Philip Larson August 29, 1959 in Seneca, Illinois.  She is survived by Philip, her husband of 59 years; sons, Mike (Kim) Larson and Mark (Angie) Larson all of Ottawa; grandchildren, Haley (Brandon) Aubry of Utica, Dylan Joseph Larson of Florida, Jessica Jackson of Marseilles, Hannah and Chloe Larson of Ottawa; great-grandchildren, Parker and Wyatt Aubry.  She also leaves a sister, Annabelle (Eugene) Lee of Ottawa.  Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Michael and Jack Onofrey; great-granddaughter, Addelynne Marie Narwick and a nephew, Michael Hunter, Jr.

Shirley was a homemaker her entire life and the CEO of Larson Racing.  She enjoyed playing Bingo, cooking, shopping and was known to frequent casinos in the area as well as LasVegas.  The time she treasured most was that spent with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her beloved pets.

Shirley has been laid to rest in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Life.

Richard Earl Nelson, age 85, of Ottawa, passed away early Sunday morning at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning, December 6, 2018 at Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home with Pastor Cheri Stewart officiating.  Burial will follow in Oakwood Memorial Park with full military rites conducted by the American Legion Veterans Group Post 33 Ottawa Honor Guard.  Visitation will be held Wednesday evening, December 5, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. till 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Richard was born March 7, 1933 in Bradley, Illinois, the son of Algot E. and Vera (Jensen) Nelson.  He married Nadene Lyon February 7, 1955 in Yakima, Washington.  Surviving are his wife of 63 years, Nadene, of Ottawa; children, Debra Kathryn Nelson of Ottawa, Terry Lee (Audrey) Nelson of Kokomo, IN, David Keith Nelson of Walnut, IL, Kenneth Earl (Reneé) Nelson of Ottawa, and Brian Douglas (Della) Nelson of San Francisco, CA; grandchildren, Charles Nelson, Jennifer, Jason, and Amanda Barth, Autumn, Ashley and Amy Nelson, and Zachary and Ryan Nelson; 8 great grandchildren; and a sister, Eleanor Hull, of Washington State.  He was preceded in death by one grandson, Charles Nelson.

Richard was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Ottawa.  He had been the manager of Rudy’s Grocery Stores of Ottawa, Streator, and Park Forest.  He later was a lab tech for Borg Warner, which later became GE Plastics.  In his younger years, Richard was a glider pilot and bicyclist.  He enjoyed bowling, camping, and proved to be a talented woodworker.  In his later years, Richard and Nadene became extremely involved in antiques.  He studied music in school and was an accomplished pianist.  Richard proudly served his country in the United States Army.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the First United Methodist Church of Ottawa.

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

Douglas S. Nelson, 49, of Ottawa passed away Friday, June 19, 2015 at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa. Funeral service will be 11:00 am Monday, June 22, 2015 at Ottawa Funeral Home with Rev. Duane Kaufman officiating. Visitation will be 10:00 – 11:00 one hour prior to services Monday at Ottawa Funeral Home.

Douglas was born January 2, 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri to Hiram and Jean (Hill) Nelson. He enjoyed listening to music and playing his guitar.

He is survived by his parents, Hiram and Jean Nelson; three children, Jesse (Jenna) Nelson, Noah and Madeleine Nelson; two siblings, Barry (Pam) Nelson and Jodi (Curt) Woodall; one grandson, Rylee Nelson; and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents.

Memorials may be directed to his family.

Douglas has been laid to rest in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Peace.

Hiram Nelson, 94, of Ottawa passed away Friday, November 30, 2018 at Pleasant View Lutheran Home.

Funeral Services will be at 11:00 Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at Ottawa Funeral Home with Pastor Sherry Stevenson officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 – 11:00, one hour prior to services on Wednesday, at Ottawa Funeral Home. He will be entombed at the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum at Oakwood Memorial Park with military services being provided by the Ottawa American Legion Honor Guards.

Hiram was born October 19, 1924 in Shabbona Grove, IL to George and Sophia (Balken) Nelson. He married the love of his life, Jean Hill on January 22, 1949 at Petre Lutheran Church in Baker, Illinois. He was a member of Faith Lutheran Church . He served in the Army during World War II and stationed in the Pacific theatre. He retired from Libby Owens Ford 1986. After retiring from LOF he mowed the Sheridan Cemetery for 18 years. He was an avid horseshoe pitcher winning many local & state tournaments.

He is survived by his wife, Jean; one son, Barry (Pam) of Ottawa; one daughter, Jodi (Curt) Woodall of Tennessee; grandchildren, Colby (Amy) Zellers, Courtnye. (Matt) Miller, Travis (Hannah) Cowan, Kellan Cowan, Slater Woodall, Tristan (Ben) Johnson, Jesse (Jenna) Nelson, Josh (Katelyn) Thompson, Noah Nelson, and Madi Nelson; great-grandchildren, Peyton, Luke, Carson, Alyssa, Zoe, Ryder, Lily, and Rylee; and his special family friends, Sandi Biven and Mary Niemann.

Hiram is preceded in death by his son, Douglas Nelson; three brothers, Abe, Sam, and Joe Nelson,and two sisters, Mae Brown and Synerva Slvig.

Hiram has been laid to rest in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Peace.

Ruth Meta (Pfolsgrof) Moore, 97, of Sycamore died Saturday, November 10, 2018 at the DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center.

Grace A. (Thorson) Riebe, 88, of Ottawa, went to her Heavenly home on November 14, 2018 at Park Pointe Healthcare and Rehab Center in Morris, surrounded by her family.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 26, 2018 at Crossbridge Community Church, with Rev. Kevin Donoho, Pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be Sunday, November 25, 2018 at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa, from 2 to 5 p.m., and on Monday at the church, one hour prior to the services.

Grace was born on September 14, 1930 in Fairview, MT to Arthur and Mabel (Syring) Thorson. She married Earl Riebe on April 30, 1949 at Seneca Lutheran Church.  Her early years as a wife and mother, she’d come in the house with her Aunt Jemima look after hours on the tractor. Days she was not in the field, she would prepare & bring elaborate meals to those that were.

She was an avid gardener of vegetables and flowers, fabulous cook, cake decorator, and had a love for gospel and country music. She served as a Sunday School teacher and youth group leader at Zion Lutheran Church. Journaling her life every day was a passion of hers for over 65 years.

Grace always dressed in her signature style; blazer, scarf, hat with a pin embellishment & an array of coordinating jewelry when she made her weekly trip to town. Catalog shopping became one of her favorite pastimes and she looked forward to her package deliveries.

Her home, filled with a multitude of angels, reflected each season’s colors and every holiday was decorated to the hilt. The Christmas season began with a family favorite, the traditional shopping trip but the heart of the holiday was singing songs and reading the Christmas story celebrating Jesus’ birth. For Jesus’ resurrection on Easter, we attended church in our Sunday best and for generations posed for family pictures that were placed in a book of memories.

A compassionate heart for others, she often sent cards adorned with stickers from her collection. Her “Amazing Grace” writings, posted on Facebook, were admired by many. She was the most non-judgmental person, many came to her and left feeling accepted and loved. She was a Prayer Warrior & a Mom/Mema to many. She was an angel in her own right and lived the legacy of her name.

Her life song carries on through 5 children, Gayle E. (Robert) Wilson, Nancy E. Ugland, Linda S. (Bill) Backos, Wade A. Riebe, and Sherri L. (Keith) Countryman, all of Ottawa, 15 grandchildren, 28, great grandchildren, 1 great-great granddaughter, a sister, Irma Collins, of Argyle, WI, and 3 special friends Karen Moriarty, Ann Taylor, and Peggy Grote.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Earl, on August 8, 2012, a brother Paul Thorson, a grandson, Erik Ugland, and a son-in-law Kurt Ugland.

Pallbearers will be Rob Wilson, Ryan Wilson, Leon Backos, Dustin Riebe, Jesse Riebe, Tylar Countryman, Teague Ugland, and Marc Fogarty.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Jason Drake, Matt Holdridge, Greg Nelson, Don Douglas, Terry “Pops” Henderson, Scott Newbury, Bruce Delmet, Bryn Doran, and Tyler Modglin. Honorguards will be Bob Wilson, Bill Backos, Keith Countryman, Wade Riebe, and Kurt Ugland.

Memorials may be directed to Dare2Care, Love Outreach Center, Inc., Zion Lutheran Church, or Joliet Area Hospice.

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