May 2022

Betty Libner, 65, of Seneca, IL, passed away April 21, 2022 at Amita Health St. Joseph Medical Center.

Funeral Services will be at 1:00 pm Tuesday, April 26 at Ottawa Funeral Home, with Rev. Kris Zierke officiating. Visitation will be from 11:00 until the time of services at the funeral home on Tuesday. Burial will be private in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Betty was born December 15, 1956, in Ottawa, IL, to Robert Sr.and Betty (Peek) Warren.

Betty had worked as a Nurses aide in Sandwich Il. She loved all animals, cartoons and being with her grandchildren.

She is survived by her mother, Betty Warren; two daughters, Crystal (Eddie) Kelly and Bobbie Ollom; a son, Timothy Stangland; five grandchildren; and her sister, Cathy (Brian) Hassler.

Betty was preceded in death by her father, a brother, Bobby, and her former husband, Steve Libner.

She was laid to rest in the Sanctuary of Seasons.

Robert W. Warren, Sr., 77, of Seneca, Illinois, passed away Monday, October 28, 2013, at Morris Hospital. Funeral Service for Robert will be at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 31, 2013, at Ottawa Funeral Home with Rev. Kris Zierke officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, prior to services at Ottawa Funeral Home. Robert was born July 28, 1936, in Marseilles, Illinois, to Alva and Dorothy (Smith) Warren. He married Betty Peek on February 18, 1956, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottawa, Illinois. He was a retired welder. He is survived by his wife, Betty; two daughters, Betty C. “Cheri” Libner and Catherine Lee (Brian) Hassler; an adopted daughter, Bobbi Worth; eight grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; two sisters, Carol (Wes) Stohr and Barbara (George) Addis; and one brother, George (Cheryl) Warren. He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Robert W. Warren, Jr.; one sister, Lois Warren; two brothers, Donald Warren and Howard Warren; two great grandchildren, Jasmine Justice and Timothy Joseph Strangland; one son-in-law, Steve Libner; and one daughter-in-law, Cheryl Warren.

He was laid to rest at Oakwood Memorial Park in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum in the Sanctuary of Seasons.

Anna E. (Newkirk) Kistenfeger, 86, of Ottawa, passed away on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at the OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 2, 2022 at St. Columba Church in Ottawa with Deacon John Murphy officiating. Visitation will be from 9 to 10:50 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at Oakwood Memorial Park following the services. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa.

Anna was the daughter of Everett & Lillian (Husted) Newkirk, born and raised in Shiloh, New Jersey. She moved to Ottawa in 1963. She was a 1968 graduate of St. Mary’s School of Nursing, LaSalle. She married Walter A. Kistenfeger, Sr. on August 27, 1971. She was a homemaker and a Licensed Practical Nurse.

Anna was a member of St. Columba Parish, Ottawa where she was a past choir member. She met with a small group of friends of St. Columba Parish for their Monday Night Prayer Group for 25 years.

She worked as an LPN at Community Hospital of Ottawa, St. Mary’s Hospital, Streator and Pleasant View Lutheran Home, Ottawa. Following retirement, her gift of nursing and devotion led to private duty nursing with families and hospice patients. Her devotion to nurturing family members losing their loved ones to life-threatening sickness was one of her gifts as a nurse; always giving back to others.

Anna has been a seamstress all her life sewing and tailoring clothes, sharing her dedicated skills teaching others to sew from beginners to quilting. She was an active quilting instructor for on-board cruise classes throughout Caribbean and Alaskan cruises. She attended numerous national quilting classes and shows and won local, state and national awards on her sewn quilts. Her awards were numerous; First Place, Best of Show, Viewer’s Choice, Vendors Choice, Honorable Mention, and Judges Choice. Anna has sewn hundreds of quilts throughout her lifetime for family and friends as well as numerous donations to war veterans, hospital lap quilts, and cancer patient quilts. She was a member of the Kimble Thimble Quilt Guild of Marseilles and Quilting Sisters of Leesburg, FL. Anna was a member of LaSalle County Extension No-Township Unit and was ‘LaSalle County Homemaker of the Year’ in 1985.

Anna was a devoted team member in the Illinois Valley Cursillo in Christian Ministry, serving as a sponsor and Rectora Team Leader. Anna and Walter were passionate in the Cursillo Prison Ministry at the Sheridan Prison, Sheridan. Anna was Past Worthy Matron of the Order of Eastern Star and a steward of many Masonic organizations.

Anna and Walter were Snowbirds to Summerfield, FL every winter since 1990.

Anna is survived by her children, Eugene Kistenfeger of Ottawa, Sandra (William) Nagel of Oglesby, Robert (Joetta) Kistenfeger of Mt. Zion, David (Kerry) Kistenfeger of Ottawa, Gary (Tracy) Kistenfeger of Ottawa, and Mary Kistenfeger of Ottawa; 13 grandchildren, Thomas Nagel of Scottsdale, AZ, Theodore Nagel of Fort Worth, TX, Adrianne Johnson of Ames, IA, Zachary Kistenfeger of Dalton City, Ryan Kistenfeger of Memphis, TN, Jayson Kistenfeger of Petersburg, Kelsey Kistenfeger-Twohey and Cole Kistenfeger both of Ottawa, Kara Kistenfeger and Quinn Kistenfeger both of Ottawa, and Courtney Just, Colby Kistenfeger, and Cami Kistenfeger of Assumption; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Anna was preceded in death by her husband, Walter on March 27, 2021; two sons, C. Thomas Blackmon and Walter A. Kistenfeger, Jr.; her parents, Everett & Lillian Newkirk; and both of her siblings.

She was laid to rest in the Garden of Prayer.

Lila Distin, age 87, of Ottawa, left this earth for her heavenly home Monday, April 25, 2022 with her loving family by her side.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 30th at the First Baptist Church, 103 West McKinley Road, Ottawa with Reverend Bill Clark, OSF Hospice Chaplain officiating. Interment will follow in Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the church. Pallbearers will be her grandchildren, Jill, Allie, Stephanie and Christina Lemrise, Amy Winfrey, Jaclyn Stahlhut, Jon and Sarah Spicer, Chris and Ben Distin. Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home is honored to assist the family.

Lila was born May 1, 1934 in Clementsville, Kentucky, the daughter of Benjamin and Marie (Hicks) Harden. She married Vernon E. Distin August 26, 1951 at the First Baptist Church parsonage in Ottawa. Vernon preceded her in death November 14, 2012. Surviving are her children, Deb Spicer (Mike Simon) of Orlando, Florida, Connie (Ron) Franzen of Highland, Illinois, Terry Distin of Ottawa, Kansas, Mary (Al) Lemrise of Peru, Julie Distin of Ottawa, Helen (Rusty) Rockford-Wells of Ottawa, Sharon Torres of Ottawa and Mike (Martha) Harden of Grand Ridge. Lila also leaves grandchildren, Sarah and Jon Spicer, Amy (Adam) Winfrey, Jaclyn (John) Stahlhut, Ben and Chris Distin, Jill, Allie (Kevin Dale), Stephanie and Christina Lemrise; and great-grandchildren, Ava and Andrew Winfrey, Leonardo, Lincoln and Lyanna Dale, Cash Stahlhut and Blakely Spicer-Fraser. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Vernon; and brothers Howard Eugene, Kenneth, David, George and Danny Harden; and a great-grandson Oatley Vernon Dale.

Lila was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church in Ottawa where she was active in various organizations. Her leisure time would find her sewing, quilting, playing euchre (was very competitive) and doing craftwork. Lila was a very kind, generous and caring person who often donated her time to serve others. She enjoyed time spent with her family, particularly fishing with Vernon and enjoying the number of fish caught thanks to her “good luck hat!” Her grandchildren and friends in nursing homes will miss the Christmas cookies and fruit bread she would prepare and deliver for the holidays. She will be dearly missed by her family and extended church family and friends.

She was laid to rest in the Garden of Psalms.

Merritt Thompson, 86, of Earlville, IL passed away Thursday, April 21, 2022 at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was born on March 23, 1936 in Blue Mountain, MS the son of Merritt and Sara Lou Thompson. He married Carol Harte on April 11, 1980. He worked at J. H. Armbruster in Aurora, IL for 40 years, he retired in 1996. He enjoyed fishing, planting flowers in the spring, and gardening, most of all he loved spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife Carol, five children: Frank Thompson, Mark (Amy) Laws, Jeff Knoedler, Cheryl McMurren and Victor Thompson, six grandchildren: Marcus, Vincent, Alden, Faith, Kyle and Ciera, two great-grandchildren: Navaia, and Milo, one sister Jan (Carrol) Smith, several nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, one son Terry, four brothers: Bill, Jim, Joe and Danny, two sisters: Mert and Ruby.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at Turner-Eighner Funeral Home in Somonauk, IL with Pastor Del Keilman officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park in Ottawa, IL. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at Turner-Eighner Funeral Home in Somonauk, IL.

He was laid to rest in the Garden of Prayer.