January 2021

Gregory A. Matteson, 67, of Ottawa, passed away on Sunday, January 24, 2021, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, private services will be held Thursday morning at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottawa, with Pastor David Ufkes officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa.

Greg was born July 18, 1953, to Erling and Violet (Peterson) Matteson in Newark, Illinois. He graduated from Newark High School, and received associate degrees from Joliet Junior College and Illinois Valley Community College. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Illinois State University.

Greg married Cheryl Thorson on June 17, 1978 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottawa.

He farmed in Serena and Wallace Townships for over 40 years. In addition to his love of farming, he worked as an adjunct instructor in the biology lab at Illinois Valley Community College for 20 years.

Greg took great pleasure and pride in his hobby of woodworking, especially when a project was a gift for another person. Having a soft spot for animals, he adopted stray cats and gave them a loving home on his Serena farm. He was a kind, thoughtful, determined, strong man who will be missed.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the LaSalle County Farm Bureau.

Greg is survived by his loving wife, Cheryl; his brother, Kenneth (Ruby) Matteson, of Morris; his sister-in-laws, Billie Jean Matteson of Ottawa and Sue Dolder of Urbana; his nephews, Michael (Shannon) Matteson, of Marseilles, and Craig (Kay) Matteson, of Morris; his nieces, Lisa (Ed) Oppenlander, of Morris, Wendy (Ken) Briley, of Minooka, Cheri Matteson, of Ottawa, and Dr. Linda (Marcus) Dolder-Harris, of Urbana, as well as several great nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, David Matteson; his brother-in-law, Stephen Dolder; and his in-laws, Orville and Yvonne Thorson.

Pallbearers will be David Tuntland, Ken Knudson, Michael Matteson, Craig Matteson, Luke Matteson, and Marcus Harris.

He was laid to rest in the Garden of Prayer.

Freda M. (Rodely) Robinson, 99, of Ottawa, passed away on Thursday evening, January 21, 2021, at the LaSalle County Nursing Home.

Private funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa with Rev. John Walker, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, officiating. Services will be streamed on www.MuellerFH.com. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park. Due to current State of Illinois guidelines social distancing and face coverings will be required.

Freda was born on June 29, 1921, in DuQuoin, Illinois, to George and Clara (Koenig) Rodely. She married Lyle A. Robinson on June 3, 1939, in Jackson, Missouri, and they remained married for almost 78 years until his passing in 2017. Freda worked as the “Sunbeam Lady” demonstrating Sunbeam Appliances and as a dental assistant to Dr. O.L. Miller. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Ottawa and was an active member of Band Parents during her children’s school years.

Her main focus in life was being a homemaker, taking care of friends and family. She was well known for her gracious demeanor welcoming people into her home and the enjoyable times that everyone had while visiting.

She is survived by two children, Carol Raber of Northbrook and Brenda Launius of Ottawa; four granddaughters, Pamela Raber, Chelsea Goldberg, Jennifer Burmeister and Emily Driscoll; and two great-grandchildren, Payton and Grace Burmeister.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Lyle on March 17, 2017; and three brothers, William, George and Eugene Rodely.

She was laid to rest in the Garden of the Last Supper.

Alfred Arliss Allen, age 87, of North Aurora, Illinois, passed away Monday, January 11, 2021 at Aurora, Illinois.

Private memorial services will be held 2:00 PM Saturday, January 16th, 2021 at Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home with Pastor David Ufkes officiating. Inurnment will follow in Oakwood Memorial Park with military rites by the Ottawa American Legion Honor Guard. Pallbearers will be Anthony, Vincent and Nick Desmond and Robert VeZain, Jr. A private visitation will be Saturday, from 1:00 PM to service time at the funeral home.

Alfred was born October 5, 1933 in Ottawa, Illinois, a son of Alfred and Gabrielle (VeZain) Allen. He married the love of his life, Patricia Lynch on June 15, 1971 in Nebraska. She preceded him in death October 1, 2008. Alfred is survived by six children, Bryan Winchell (Linda) of Yuma, AZ, Diane Desmond (Nick) of North Aurora, IL, Karen Winchell-Roudis (Scott) of Morris, IL, Lucinda Allen of Grand Ridge, IL, Melanie Allen Maskel (Bill) of LaSalle, IL, and Heather Battistelli (Brian) of Ottawa, IL.. He is preceded in death by one brother, Robert Allen.

Alfred was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and had been employed as a Corrections Officer with the Illinois Department of Corrections. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army. Alfred was a member of Ottawa Moose Lodge. He enjoyed collecting coins, antiques and guns.

He was laid to rest in the Garden of Inspiration.

Katherine “Kay” (Farrell) Billings, 77, of Ottawa, passed away on Wednesday morning, January 13, 2021 at her home surrounded by her loving family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2021 at St. Columba Church, with Rev. Gary Caster, officiating. Entombment will follow at Shrine of Rest Mausoleum, in Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa. Due to current State of Illinois guidelines social distancing, face coverings and capacity limitations will be required.

Mrs. Billings was born on February 17, 1943 in Ottawa to Robert and Catherine (Rokusek) Farrell. She married Gary Billings on August 26, 1961 at St. Columba Church, Ottawa. Kay was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Altar and Rosary Society, volunteered at OSF, lifetime member of Weight Watchers, and a firm believer in St. Anthony. Kay had a smile that nobody will forget. She was a ray of sunshine to many people! Kay was an avid walker and always full of life. You could usually find her dancing, working out, and always participating in family activities, because her family was her world. Her family was her everything and she was everything to her family.

She is survived by four children, Brenda (Lenny) Beals, Becky (Mike) Grear, Bridget Billings, and Brian (Heather) Billings, all of Ottawa, and four grandchildren, Gary Grear, and Isabella, Lainey and Alex Billings.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband, Gary; her son, Brent Billings; and two brothers, Tom and Jerry Farrell.

Pallbearers will be Gary Grear, Alex Billings, Todd Stehl, Doug Billings, Kevin Price and Luke Brue.

She was laid to rest in the Sanctuary of Memory.

Marilyn Jean Warren, 85, of Ottawa passed away Saturday, January 9, 2021 at Ottawa Pavilion.

Due to Covid guidelines, private services will be held Saturday morning, at St. Patrick’s Church, with Rev. David Kipfer officiating. She will be buried at Oakwood Memorial Park. Ottawa Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Marilyn was born July 10, 1935 in Marseilles to Babtista “Buck” and Katherine (Schank) Griglione. She married Joseph V. Warren on February 9, 1952 at St. Patrick’s Church in Seneca. They were married for 49 years before his passing on May 25, 2001.

She started her career cleaning at Skorberg’s furniture, and was eventually promoted to Office Manager. She retired from Turk’s Furniture as their Office Manager. Marilyn had a love for Italian bread with butter and baking desserts. She had a great laugh and spirited vocabulary. She was an avid Cubs fan and enjoyed watching the games on TV. Her favorite Cubby was Ron Santo.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Cheryl Mucci for all her care and support over the years.

Marilyn is survived by three children, William, Timothy, and JoEllen Warren; three grandchildren, Katie Tincknell, Kyle and Chad Warren; five great-grandchildren, Hank, Vince, Abigail, Alexa, and Haley; sister, Karen Leiteritz; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her siblings, Helen Mucci, Richard, Ronald, and Jack Griglione. Marilyn and her sister, Doris, peacefully passed away within hours of each other on that Saturday, the 9th of January. God bless them in heaven together.

She was laid to rest in the Garden of Prayer.

Doris E. Darif, 94, of Ottawa passed away Saturday, January 9, 2021 at Ottawa Pavilion.

Due to Covid guidelines, a private mass of Christian burial will be held on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at St. Columba Church, with Rev. David Kipfer officiating. She will be buried at Oakwood Memorial Park. Ottawa Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Doris was born May 13, 1926 in Marseilles to Babtista and Katherine (Schank) Griglione. She married Felix “Geno” Darif on May 13, 1950 at St. Columba Church. They were married for 60 years before his passing on September 27, 2010.

Doris was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She truly cherished the moments spent with her family, especially dancing with her husband and baking cookies for her family for Christmas Eve. She loved watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow. She was an avid Chicago Cubs fan and was ecstatic to watch them win the World Series. Doris was a lifelong member of St. Columba Church, the Altar and Rosary Society, and the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary.

She is survived by her two children, Janice Darif of Minooka and Tom Darif of Hayward, WI; two grandchildren, Tara (John) Duncan and Tim (Nicole) Darif; six great-grandchildren, Kate, Jack, Claire, Taylor, Teagan, and Tylee; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Geno; and her brothers and sisters.

She was laid to rest in the Garden of Prayer.

Raymond Baxter 87, of Ottawa, passed away on Friday evening, January 8, 2021 at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa.

A private service will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa, with Rev. Cheri Stewart, Pastor of First United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park, where Full Military Rites will be accorded by the American Legion Post 33 Honor Guard.

Raymond was born on April 21, 1933 in Ottawa to Vaughn Butler and Doris (Wiley) Baxter, and raised on the family farm in Prairie Center. Ray attended school at the one room school house in Prairie Center, where he rode his horse to school. He was a graduate of Serena High School class of 1951. Raymond was drafted into the US Army at the age of 19 and served two years in Korea. He and his wife, Patricia (Deckard) Baxter, were married on February 19, 1956 at the First United Methodist Church in Ottawa. She passed away on March 31, 2020. Raymond spent his entire life farming, while also drilling wells for many of those years. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Past Grandmaster of the Occidental Lodge #40 A.F. & A.M., member of the Ottawa Elks, and American Legion Post 33. Ray’s greatest passions in life were farming and his family, especially his grandchildren.

He is survived by four children, Randall (Connie) Baxter, of Springfield, IL, Patricia (Terry) Bailey, of Prairie Center, James (Chris) Baxter, of Ottawa, and Susan (Andre) Brockman, of Grand Ridge, 14 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandson.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Patricia, and a brother, Wiley Baxter.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons, Travis O’Connell, Joshua and Colt Carrier, Jacob and Cody Donahue, Andre Brockman II, and James, Brandon, and Michael Baxter

He was laid to rest in the Garden of Inspiration.

Betty Jane Thomson, 94, formerly of Ottawa, IL passed away Saturday, January 2, 2021 at Stonecreek Health in Paducah, KY.

Due to current COVID guidelines, private services will be held at CrossBridge Community Church. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park. Ottawa Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Betty was born May 14, 1926, in Ottawa to William and Ethel (Ellingwood) Hall. She married Peter Thomson on July 28, 1947 in Leavenworth, KS. They were married for 58 years before his passing on May 7, 2006.

Betty was originally from Ottawa. In 2014, she moved to Palm Coast, FL with her oldest son to enjoy the warmer weather. They have been living in West Paducah, KY for the past year. She was a member of CrossBridge Community Church of the Nazarene.

She is survived by two daughters, Bonnie (Jacques) Beardsley and Jane Thomson; two sons, David (Bari) Thomson and Ronald (Sallie) Thomson; her eight grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her grandson, Christopher Bretag; and six siblings.

Memorials may be directed to Crossbridge Community Church.

She was laid to rest in the Garden of Inspiration.

Judy M. Kummer, 80, of Ottawa passed away Wednesday, January 6, 2021 surrounded by her family, after a three-year battle with cancer.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. She will be entombed at the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum at Oakwood Memorial Park. Ottawa Funeral Home & Crematory has been entrusted with arrangements.

Judy was born May 8, 1940 in Ottawa to Evelyn Armstrong and Alfred Hill. She married Frederick Kummer, Jr. on September 10, 1960. Judy retired from Shanley’s TV and Appliance in Ottawa after 14 years. She was a passionate supporter of the ASPCA, and truly loved pups of all kinds. Her true joy in life was raising her children and caring for her family. She especially loved watching her grandkids play sports.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Fred; three sons, Mike (Dawn) of Hanover, PA, Tom of Brookfield, and Jim (Amy) of Ottawa; seven grandchildren, Chris, Kasey, Ryan (Katie), Josh (Ally), David, Kyle, and Kiara; three great-grandchildren, Jaxx, Dante, and Kysen; her sister, Donna (late Richard) Fisher; and her pup, Coco. She was preceded in death by her parents, her step-father, Ken Cross; and her dog, Luckey.

She was laid to rest in the Sanctuary of Seasons.

William “Bill” Blythe, 76, of Ottawa, passed away on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at his home, surrounded by his family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2021 at St. Columba Church, with Rev. David Kipfer, Pastor, officiating. Entombment will follow at Shrine of Rest Mausoleum in Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, January 8, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa with a prayer service at 4:30 p.m. Due to current State of Illinois guidelines, capacity limitations, social distancing, and face coverings, will be required.

William T. Blythe was born on May 3, 1944 in Chicago to Philip T. and Dorothy (Edwards) Blythe. His parents operated the Glass House retail and growth of plants and fresh flowers in Naperville before moving to Ottawa in 1953. They bought Johnson Flowers at the location it stood then and stands now. Bill was a graduate of North Central College, where he earned his BS in Psychology. He was married to his bride, his high school sweetheart, Susan (Lietz) Blythe on August 19, 1967. Bill enjoyed reading, puzzles, and loved following his grandchildren’s activities.

The couple have three children and eight grandchildren: Thomas (Kerri) Blythe of Salina, KS, and granddaughter, Emilee Blythe, Timothy Blythe, of Mount Pleasant, WI, and grandchildren Ruby, Noelle, and Christian Blythe, and daughter, Lisa (Robert) Snook of Ottawa, and granddaughters Allison, Madison, Molly and Bobbi Sue Snook.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Phyllis Goerling, and Carolyn Nagley.

Bill was the Chairman of the Cancer Fund Drive, Member of the Outstanding Men of Illinois, President of Jaycees, Chairman of the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and he chaired the 125th Anniversary of the City of Ottawa under Mayor Jim Thomas. He assisted with the Miss Ottawa Pageant, served as the President of the Miss Illinois Pageant, attended the Miss America Pageant several times, and served as judge for pageants in Illinois, Florida, Nebraska, and Iowa. He was Executive Director of the Illinois State Floral Association for 15 years and started a five-state yearly meeting which became a national organization, National Alliance of Floral Association, to help floral association executives share common interests and problems. After 63 years, he sold Blythe Flowers to his valued and very talented employee, Tina Davis and her husband Nick.

Pallbearers will be Noel Lietz, Dr. Nicholas Tabor, Jay Harvey, David Mennie, Larry Brown, Craig Godwin, Nick Davis, and Larry Snook.

He was laid to rest in the Sanctuary of Hope.