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Grant Pile
owned shoe store
WATSEKA -- A funeral Mass for Grant J. Pile, 85, of Watseka, will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Edmund's Catholic Church, Watseka, where he was a member. Rev. Lee Ryan will officiate.
Cremation rites will be accorded.
Burial
will be in St. Mary's cemetery, Streator.
Memorials may be made to the donor's choice or for Masses.
Segur-Knapp Funeral Home, Watseka, is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Pile owned and operated Home Shoe Store in Watseka for 30 years. He also owned a shoe store in Dwight for 10 years and managed Leslie Shoe Store in Streator for several years.
Mr. Pile died
Saturday (April 20, 2002) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.
He was born
Aug. 29, 1916, in Streator, the son of George W. and Mary Haley Pile.
His wife, the former Lois M. Jensen, whom he married
July 25, 1945, in Streator, died
June 10, 1990.
Surviving are one son, Patrick Pile of Watseka; three grandchildren, Michael Pile of Watseka, Carrie and Todd Simmons and Trisha Pile, all of Tyler, Texas; two great-grandchildren; and five nieces.
Four brothers; one sister; and one son are deceased.
He was a World War II veteran serving with the U.S. Meratime Service.
He was a 4th Degree in the Knights of Columbus; a member of the Watseka Elks Lodge, the Watseka Chamber of Commerce for 30 years, and the United Commercial Travelers Association for 45 years.
Lawrence Weeks,
JC Penney retiree
Visitation for Lawrence Delbert Weeks, 83, a life-long resident of Kankakee, will be from 9:30 a.m. April 30 until the 10:30 a.m. service at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Inurnment of cremains will be in The Columbarium in the Garden of St. Francis of St. Paul's.
Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Episcopal Church or the Kankakee Area YMCA.
Mr. Weeks died
Saturday (April 13, 2002) at The Governor's House in Simsbury, Conn., where he had resided since November 2000.
Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Episcopal Church or the Kankakee Area YMCA.
Mr. Weeks was born
Dec. 7, 1918 in Kankakee, the son of William James and Lucy Mae Wright Weeks.
Surviving are his wife, the former Launa May Whipple, whom he married
Dec. 28, 1948 at the Park College Chapel in Parkville, Mo.; two daughters and one son-in-law, Susan Weeks of Poway, Calif., Jane Weeks and John Randazzo of Avon, Conn.; five grandchildren; one brother, Rev. Canon William Weeks of Tucson, Ariz.; and six nieces and nephews.
One brother, Hiram Weeks; two sisters, Gladys Colborn and Lucille Larson; two brothers-in-law; and one sister-in-law, are deceased.
Mr. Weeks was employed by the Kankakee Ordnance Works, the David Bradley factory, and the Bear Brand Hosiery company.
He served with the Army Air Corps during World War II. He completed 33 missions over Germany and France, winning the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war, he managed Kankakee Office Machines and then went to work for J.C. Penney Company, retiring in January 1983 after 34 years of service.
He was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, a Sunday School teacher, an usher and lector, and served on the vestry.
He was a charter member of the Air Force Reserve.
Mr. Weeks was a member of the VFW, Kankakee County Historical Society, the YMCA, the Elks Club, and the Quadrille Dance Club.
He enjoyed reading, music and golf.
Leroy Fink
Visitation for Leroy Theodore Fink, 43, of Bradley, will be from 4-8 p.m. today at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home, Bourbonnais.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Bradley.
Cremation rites will be accorded.
Memorials may be made to the family wishes.
Mr. Fink died
Saturday (April 20, 2002) at Riverside Medical Center.
He was born
Nov. 27, 1958, in Blue Island, the son of Charles W. and Beatrice Kruszynska Fink.
Surviving are his wife, the former Rita D. Bittner, whom he married
Nov. 19, 1993, in Kankakee, of Bradley; one stepson, Rowdy William Cassidy of Kankakee; one stepdaughter, Desiree Rose Cassidy of Bourbonnais; his parents of Kankakee; one brother and sister-in-law, Charles W. and Chris Fink of Roscoe; mother-in-law, Joyce A. Baker of Bradley; aunts, uncles; one niece; and cousins; and his companion dog, Gracie.
One brother, James W. Fink, is deceased.
Mr. Fink had been legally blind since birth.
He loved the outdoors especially camping and biking.
Margie Hayes
Margie E. Hayes, 87, of Kankakee, died
Saturday (April 20, 2002).
Arrangements are pending at the Jones Funeral Home, Kankakee.
Edith Fancher
GILMAN -- A funeral Mass for Edith M. Fancher, 56, of Gilman, was celebrated April 18 at Immaculate Conception Church in Gilman. Rev. John Balluff officiated.
Mrs. Fancher died
April 15, 2002.
Burial
was in St. Mary's cemetery in Gilman. Pallbearers were Rod Copas, Carl Smith, Jack Hoy, Dale Fancher Jr., Rod Honeycutt and Robert Scherer.
Ruth Irvin
RANKIN -- Services for Ruth Ellen Irvin, 70, of Rankin, formerly of Melvin, were held April 20 at the Knapp Funeral Home, Rankin. Rev. Ray Radae officiated.
Mrs. Irvin died
April 18, 2002.
Burial
was in Rankin Union cemetery. Pallbearers were Rodney Irvin, Doug Horton, David Atkisson, Steve Buhrmaster, Tim Ketchum and Warren Pufhal.
Wendell Marr
engineer, served community
MANTENO -- Wendell Charles Marr, 76, of Manteno, known for his service to the community, died
Saturday (April 20, 2002) at his home.
Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m. Tuesday, with 7 p.m. Masonic rites, at the Brown Funeral Home, Manteno.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Manteno United Methodist Church. Rev. Harvey Gaither will officiate.
Burial
will be in the Abraham Lincoln National cemetery, Elwood.
Memorials may be made to the family wishes.
He was born
Nov. 30, 1925, in Rockville Township, the son of Harvey E. and Ada F. Baker Marr. His parents are deceased.
Surviving are his wife, the former Lucille Bowers, whom he married
Jan. 20, 1945, in Los Angeles, Calif., of Manteno; three children, Kenneth C. and Donna Marr of Fort Wayne, Ind., Nancy and Lyle Shear of Manteno, David K. and Christine Marr of Bourbonnais; one sister and brother-in-law, Genita and Mike Salvagio of Tucson, Ariz.; one brother and two sisters-in-law, Harlan and Audrey Marr of Tucson, Ariz., Rosa Marr of Bourbonnais; and grandchildren, Nick and Ellen Marr of Bourbonnais, Terry Prindle of Emporia, Kan.; and nieces and nephews.
One brother, Gerald Marr, is deceased.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran serving during World War II on the USS Cahaba. He was a member and adjutant of the Manteno American Legion Post and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Mr. Marr was a retired engineer from the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad.
He was a member and past president of the Manteno Historical Society, where he was awarded the Man of the Year Award in 1996. He also was awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Award for Kankakee County in 1996.
He served on the Manteno Zoning Board.
He was a 32nd degree Mason of the Peotone Masonic Lodge 636 since 1951, where he served as past master when the new lodge was built in 1990 in Manteno; a member and past worthy patron of Dorcas Chapter 5 Order of the Eastern Star Peotone Lodge since 1967 in Manteno. He joined the Scottish Rite in 1988 and was awarded The Family Life Award in 1993 from the Danville Scottish Rite in recognition of his commitment to the community and to his family.
He was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America where he was a past troop leader; and a member of the Manteno Rotary Club He was also an active 62 year member of Manteno United Methodist Church; delegate to the church conference; trustee of the church board; and served on numerous church committees.
Mr. Marr was a volunteer at the Illinois Veterans Home, Manteno; Meals on Wheels and the Manteno Food Pantry. He was also recognized by the American Red Cross for donating 12 gallons of blood.
After retirement he took several college courses at Kankakee Community College.
He liked to travel and read.
C.T. Wood
30-year General motors employee
RIPLEY, Tenn. -- C.T. Wood, 66, of Ripley, Tenn., formerly of Wilmington, died
Tuesday (April 9, 2002) at The Med Trauma Center in Memphis, Tenn.
Services were held April 13 at the Garners Funeral Home, Ripley.
Burial
was in Asbury cemetery, Ripley.
Mr. Wood was employed at General Motors for 30 years at the Fisher Body Plant in Willow Springs, retiring in 1986.
Surviving are his wife, the former Barbara Lovelace of Ripley, Tenn.; four daughters and three sons-in-law, Cheryl and David Rampa of Wilmington, Vicki and Dan Bueschel of Cumming, Ga., Lisa and Jeff Zavala of Braidwood, Connie Hensley of Ripley, Tenn.; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; one sister, Sue Crowder of Ripley, Tenn.; and several nieces and nephews.
His parents, Charles and Maude Wood, are deceased.
He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1957-1961.
Helen Hocraffer
ELWOOD -- Helen J. Hocraffer, 73, a lifelong resident of Elwood, died
Saturday (April 20, 2002) at Provena St. Joseph's Medical Center.
Private services and burial will be held at Oakwood cemetery, Wilmington.
Freitag Funeral Home, Wilmington, is in charge of arrangements.
She was born
April 11, 1929, in Elwood, the daughter of Clarence and Martha Ward Bloff.
Her husband of 48 years, William F. Hocraffer, died
in 1995.
Surviving are two daughters, Karen J. Weldin of Wilmington, Vickie Hocraffer of Elwood; one son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Pat Hocraffer of Custer Park; three grandchildren; one sister, Lorrayne "Sis" O'Connor of Elwood; and several nieces and nephews.
Four infant children; one brother, Ronald Blogg; and one brother-in-law, Leo O'Connor, are deceased.
John Wilson
WILMINGTON -- John E. "Bear" Wilson, 59, of Wilmington, died
Sunday (April 21, 2002) at Silver Cross Hospital, Joliet.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Reeves Funeral Home, Wilmington.
Private family services and burial will be accorded.
Memorials may be made to the American Lung Association.
He was born
Feb. 5, 1943, in Toledo, Ohio, the son of Jessie and Amy Wilson. His parents are deceased.
Surviving are his wife of 36 years, Shelba "Mardy" Wilson; one son and daughter-in-law, Keith and Angel Wilson of Calumet City; one daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Randy Marsengill of Mountain City, Ga.; five grandchildren; two sisters, Ann Vogt of Hanover-Horton, Mich., Lou Wilson of Grass Lake, Mich.; one aunt and one niece.
Mr. Wilson was a driver for O'Rourke Transportation.
He was a member of The Chicago Beagle Club.
Roger Strode
lawyer
CLINTON -- Roger D. Strode Sr., 66, of Clinton, and the son of a Bourbonnais resident, died
Monday (April 22, 2002).
Visitation will be from 2 p.m. Wednesday until the 4 p.m. services at the Mahomet United Methodist Church, 1302 E. South Mahomet Rd.
Burial
will be private.
Blair-Owens Funeral Home, Mahomet, is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Strode practiced law in Mahomet for 20 years.
He was born
Feb. 22, 1936, in Alton, the son of Oscar and Lois Zigrang Strode. His mother is deceased.
Surviving are his wife, the former Judith Ann Evans, whom he married
March 10, 1962, in Kankakee; his father of Bourbonnais; two sons, Roger Strode Jr. of Milwaukee, Wis., Steven Strode of Monticello; one daughter, Allyssa Harpst of Sulfolk, Va.; one sister, Nina Wakeley of Bourbonnais; and seven grandchildren.
He was a 1969 graduate of Olivet Nazarene University and attended the University of Illinois School of Law from 1969 to 1973.
He was involved in many organizations while living in Mahomet. He was a member of the Mahomet Methodist Church, the Lions Club and was president of the Advisory Board for Mahomet School District. While in the Lions Club he received the Lion of the Year Award.
He also was a member of the Illinois Bar Association,
He was a fan of Illini sports.