May 2023

Elizabeth Jane (Jackson) Rice, 73, of Ottawa, passed away on Monday, January 30, 2023 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Funeral services will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa, with Rev. Tomas Lamb, Pastor of St. Andrew’s in the Fields Episcopal Church, officiating. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, at the funeral home on Saturday. Burial will take place at Oakwood Memorial Park, on a later date.

Beth was born on October 5, 1949 in Ottawa to John and Mabel (Peck) Jackson. She was a graduate of Ottawa Township High School, class of 1967. She later went on to graduate from Illinois Wesleyan with her B.A in 1971 and Chicago Kent College of Law, eventually earning her Juris Doctorate in 1980. Beth married Charles Rice on December 12, 1979. She was a case worker and supervisor at the Illinois Department of Public aid from 1972-1983. Beth then worked as the Assistant States Attorney in LaSalle County from 1983-1989 Beth later moved on as an attorney with the Cantlin Law Firm where she worked from 1990-2021. She was a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Illinois State Bar Association, Order of the Eastern Star, past president of the American Legion Auxiliary, member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, past president of the LaSalle County Bar Association, former member of Zonta, board member of the LaSalle County Episcopal Ministry, Rotary Club, and Women of the Moose. Beth enjoyed shopping, genealogy, spoiling her Pomeranian Lacy, and most of all she loved spending time with her family.

She is survived by a daughter, Amy (Jamie Power) Rice of Ottawa; step daughter, Joanne (Eric) Cattell of New Jersey; step son Daniel Rice of New Jersey; three brothers, John Jackson of Arkansas, Richard (Cindy) Jackson of Ottawa, and Brian (Julie) Jackson of Ottawa; and seven grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two granddaughters, a sister-in-law, Carol Jackson, and a step son Robert Rice.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Andrew’s in the Fields Episcopal Church.

Honorary Pallbearers will be her nieces and nephews.

Elizabeth has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Last Supper at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Tony Lee Gould, 58, of Ottawa, passed away Friday, May 5, 2023, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.  Special thanks to the nurses at Northwestern Hospital for their care and to all nurses for Nurses Week.

Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 12, at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will follow at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. David Daniel officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park.

Tony was born October 31, 1964, in Aurora, Illinois, to Sandra and the late Melvin (Punk) Gould, Jr. He had one daughter, Amanda, with Kristie Gould.  His greatest joy and proudest moments were watching his daughter grow up and become a pediatric nurse.

Tony grew up drawing at a very young age and loved to draw Disney and Warner Brother characters. He was a 1982 Ottawa High School graduate, while working for Town & Country Disposal. Tony spent 33 years working as a roofer in Ottawa and Aurora before retiring from Roofers and Water Proofers Local 11. He spent a great deal of time riding his dirt bike or Harley Davidson, fishing, golfing, hiking, and playing city rec softball and basketball. Tony was an avid collector of Air Jordan sneakers and a fan of the Chicago Bears, Bulls, White Sox and Blackhawks. He spent many weekends riding his bicycle along the lakefront in Chicago, taking Channahon bike trips with his buddies, and attended many concerts with his family and friends.

Tony is survived by his daughter, Amanda; mother, Sandra (Chakib) Doghmi; brother, Todd; sister, Wendy; and stepsister, Corrie (Rich) Carver.

Tony was preceded in death by his father, Melvin “Punk” Gould; brother, Scott; Barry Smith; fraternal grandparents Melvin and Veda Gould; maternal grandparents Harold (Ducky) and Dorothy (Dottie) Giese.

Pallbearers will be Todd Gould, Andrew Gould, Lucas Gould, Dewey Gould, Rick Anderson, Mark Weber, John Dergance, and Walter Hood. Honorary Pallbearers are Jason Murley, Rich Creekmore, Doug Smith.

Memorials may be directed to his family.

Tony has been laid to rest in the Garden of Prayer at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Vernon A. Mitchell Sr., 97, of Ottawa, passed away on Thursday, May 4, 2023 at the Illinois Veterans Home in LaSalle surrounded by his family.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2023 at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa with Rev. Sherry Stevenson, of Crossbridge Community Church, officiating. Full military honors will be accorded by the American Legion Post 33 Honor Guard. Burial will be at Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of services on Thursday, at the funeral home.

Vernon was born on September 24, 1925 in Donna, TX to Byron and June (Penner) Mitchell. He is a veteran of the US Navy and served during WWII. Vernon married Elizabeth B. Spicer on June 7, 1958 at the First Church of the Nazarene in Ottawa. He worked as a pipefitter, at Marseilles Plumbing and Heating for over 40 years, and after his retirement, Vernon worked for many years at Pleasant View Nursing Home. He was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Ottawa.

He is survived by his two sons, Vernon (Gail) Mitchell, Jr. of Bourbonnais and Steven Mitchell of Ottawa; two grandchildren, Joshua (Ashleigh) Mitchell and Kristin (Ilija) Stojcevski; and three great-grandchildren, Caliana and Madilyn Stojcevski and Hayden Mitchell.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Byron and June; his wife, Elizabeth Mitchell; two brothers, Ralph E. Mitchell and Kenneth Mitchell, Sr.; and a sister, Olieta Mitchell in infancy.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Vernon has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Last Supper at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Gary Stephen Follis passed away on March 11, 2023.

Gary has been laid to rest in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum in the Sanctuary of Seasons at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Jerome (Jerry) Hannigan
Born: December 29, 1945 in Morris, IL
Died: October 29, 2022 in Oceanside, CA
Jerome (Jerry) Hannigan, 76, of Oceanside CA, formerly of Ottawa, passed away peacefully from Alzheimers disease on October 29 with his loving wife by his side.
Jerry was born in Morris IL on December 29, 1945 to Dolores (Duffy) and Harold Hannigan.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his only brother, James (Jimmy).
Jerry married his high school sweetheart on January 16, 1963. During their life together they were able to travel to all 50 states as well as Germany and Ireland. After leaving Ottawa in 1971, they were fortunate to have lived in Omaha NE, Thousand Oaks CA and Lake Havasu AZ before settling in Oceanside.
Jerry used his love of cars to begin an apprenticeship at Stans Body Shop in Naplate IL where he learned a trade in autobody and painting from his mentor Stan Krafcky. He later opened a body shop at Sierra Motors for Bill Walsh Sr. Then in 1971 he began a new phase as a sales rep for Martin Senour Automotive, a division of Sherwin Williams. During his long career he advanced in his position and was very well liked and respected both personally and professionally. Jerry retired in 2004.
During his retirement Jerry enjoyed travelling, RVing, golfing, boating, and restoring and painting cars.
He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Pat (Stephenson). His daughter, Lori Ann of Oceanside CA; a son Jerome Jr (Debbie) of Camarillo CA; a son Michael James of Oceanside CA. And three granddaughters that he loved dearIy; Kaitlyn, Nicole and Kacey (Emmi). All in California.
Cremation rights will be accorded in Oceanside, CA. Private burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park in Ottawa IL with a Celebration of Life in Ottawa at a later date.
Memorials may be directed to Alzheimers San Diego, 3635 Ruffin Road, Suite 300, San Diego CA 92123

Jerry has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Ten Commandments at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Dale Grieves, 61, of Marseilles, passed away Thursday, April 27, 2023 at his home surrounded by his family.

Visitation will be from 4:00 until 7:00 pm on Monday, May 1, at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 2, at 10:00 am at Ottawa Funeral Home with Rev. Duane Kaufman officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park.

Dale was born April 28, 1961, in Ottawa, IL, to Christopher and Shirley (Westcott) Grieves. He married Carol Hickey on August 26, 1989 in Marseilles, IL.
Dale was extremely hard working. He started out at the Clark gas station at an early age. He then started at BorgWarner at 18 and worked there over 20 years until they closed. Next he worked for Independence Tube for over 20 years. After that he worked for about 6 weeks at Inframetals until the covid pandemic started.

When he wasn’t working, Dale was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and searching for morel mushrooms. He loved everyone and became even more outgoing after a couple beers. He enjoyed music and would be known to occasionally sing karaoke or dance. He loved life and never made an enemy.

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Carol Grieves; his children, Angela (Brandon Mires) Peterson, Melissa (Shannon) Ristau, Ryan (April) Nelle, Jeremy Grieves, and Amie Nelle; his grandchildren, Christian, Jade, Cara, Emma,  Brandon Jr., Ethan, Jace, Brantley, Andrew, Evan, Braxton, Ariana, Blake, and Carter; and his brother, Tim (Marcia) Grieves; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Joseph Nelle; his sisters, Marge Grieves and Christine Bump; and his brothers, Larry, Ronnie, and Pat Grieves.

Pallbearers will be Chance O’Neal, Justin Kinkade, Jason P. Grieves, Patrick Grieves, Ryan Grieves, and Jason D. Grieves. Honorary pallbearers will be Joe Husted and Katelynn Leix.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Dale has been laid to rest in the Garden of Prayer at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Robert Wilson, 73, of Ottawa, passed away on Sunday, April 23, 2023 with family by his side.

Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at Zion Lutheran Church. The funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. with Rev. David Daniel, Pastor officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa.

Bob was born on July 14, 1949 at the Ryburn King Hospital in Ottawa, to Ted and Nellie (McKinney) Wilson. He graduated from OTHS in 1969. Bob started working for Caterpillar in Joliet immediately after graduating. He married Gayle Riebe on July 4, 1969. He retired from Caterpillar and worked for Jim’s Formal Wear as a delivery driver, after his retirement.

Bob was a faithful member of Zion Lutheran Church in Ottawa, where he was president for a number of years. He also served as President of Rutland School Board for many years, as well as serving on Bakelite Credit Union board of directors. He loved the game of softball; having played and coached for several years. He was an avid hunter, bowler, and proud Cubs and Bears fan. Bob enjoyed gifting others with candies, his homemade zucchini bread, or his hand painted signs. Anyone who knew him could recognize his jovial “belly-laugh” and his outgoing personality.

He is survived by his wife, Gayle Wilson; children, Rob (Karole) Wilson of Ottawa, Christa (Marc) Fogarty of Marseilles, and Ryan (Dawn) Wilson of Ottawa; grandchildren, Madelayne (Carlos) Cota of Virginia, Nathaniel (Brooke) Wilson of New York, Gabrielle Wilson (Sekai Banes) of North Carolina, Chelsea Fogarty (Bobby Sanford) of Texas, Jaxon Fogarty of North Carolina, Kaitlyn Wilson of Ottawa, Hunter (Sabrina) Wilson of the United Kingdom, Ryan Wilson, Jr., Dustin Gerkitz, and Patrick Gerkitz all of Ottawa; a great grandchild, Rylen Gerkitz; sister Patricia Munari of Marseilles; brothers Deryl and Terry Wilson of Ottawa; sisters-in-law, Nancy Ugland, Linda (Bill) Backos, and Sherri (Keith) Countryman; and brother-in-law Wade Riebe all of Ottawa.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Eugene and Donald Davis, Ronald and Vernon Wilson; and sister, Imogene Arwood.

Pallbearers will be Rob Wilson, Ryan Wilson, Ryan Wilson, Jr., Marc Fogarty, Jaxon Fogarty, and Leon Backos. Honorary Pallbearers will be Hunter Wilson, Nathaniel Wilson, Mike Daw, Bobby Riebe, Wade Riebe, Deryl Wilson, Terry Wilson, and Bill Backos.

Memorials may be directed to Zion Lutheran Church in Ottawa or a Servant’s Heart.

Robert has been laid to rest in the Garden of Psalms at Oakwood Memorial Park.

Janet (Mennie) Brown, 72, of Fairbury, formerly of Ottawa, passed away on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at St. James-John Medical Center in Pontiac.

A Memorial Service will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa with Deacon Mike Driscoll, officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Private burial will be at Oakwood Memorial Park, on a later date.

Janet was born on April 21, 1950 in Ottawa to James and Shirley (McAlpine) Mennie. She was a graduate of Marquette High School class of 1968 and attended Illinois State University. Janet married Larry Brown on August 16, 1969 at the St. Columba Church in Ottawa. She worked at ISU as an Administrative Assistant for many years, before eventually retiring. She was a member of St Andrews Church in Fairbury. Janet spent decades raising money and volunteering for her Booster Programs. She loved watching game shows, playing with her dog Izzy, gardening, and most of all spending time with her loved ones.

She is survived by her husband, Larry; three sons, Robert Brown of Normal, Terrence Brown of Pontiac, and Michael Brown of Fairbury; four grandchildren, Zacery, Nicolas, Evan, and Andrew; three step-grandchildren, Cameron, Kevin, and Tylar; and two great grandchildren, Olivia and Jameson; two brothers, David Mennie of Ottawa and Daniel Mennie of Naplate; two sisters, Cheryl Mennie and Linda Harkins, both of Ottawa; and a niece Madisyn Mennie of Ottawa, whom she had a very close relationship with.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Janet has been laid to rest in the Garden of the Last Supper at Oakwood Memorial Park.