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Merle S. Kemp
SAVANNA -- Merle S. Kemp, 80, of Savanna died Thursday, Nov. 25, 2004, at Mercy Medical Center North in Clinton, Iowa.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 18 at Law-Jones Funeral Home in Savanna.
A memorial has been established.
Edwin McClellan
FREEPORT -- Edwin McClellan, 83, of Freeport died Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004, at Provena St. Joseph Center.
Services will be held at noon Saturday at Mount Calvary Church of God in Christ. Visitation will be after 9 a.m. Saturday at the church.
Arrangements were made by Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home.
Eugene S. West
FREEPORT -- Eugene S. West, 79, of Freeport died Monday, Dec. 6, 2004, at Stephenson Nursing Center.
He was born Sept. 2, 1929, in Freeport to James and Bertha (Wing) West. Eugene married Delores J. Lenz on Sept. 21, 1956, in Freeport. Delores died July 31, 1983.
Mr. West was employed as a truck driver for Freeport Material Supply Co., and later worked for Freeport School District and was a Pinkerton guard.
He enjoyed fishing with his children.
Survivors include four sons, James (Christine) Crawford of Hendersonville, N.C., and Greg West, Kirk R. (Tina) West and Dean (Rosemary) West, all of Freeport; three daughters, Gina (Jeff) Jones, Jeanine West and Amy (Jeff) Bardell, all of Freeport; two brothers, Harold (Lou) West of Lockport and George "Butch" Otten of Pecatonica; three sisters, Maxine Gates of Beloit, Wis., Hazel West of Rockford and Karen (Terry) Terrell of LaCrosse, Wis.; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; two grandsons, Eric West and Jeffrey S. Jones; two brothers; and one sister.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home, with the Rev. Willis Schwichtenberg and Vicar Paul Roggow officiating. Visitation will be from noon Wednesday until time of service. Burial will be at Dakota Cemetery.
A memorial fund has been established in his name.
Doris Armstrong
HOLLISTER, Mo. -- Doris Marie Armstrong, 74, of Hollister, Mo., former Freeport resident, died at 8:15 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004, in Hollister.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Oakland Cemetery and Mausoleum in Freeport.
Bertha A. Hatton
ELIZABETH -- Bertha Ann Hatton, age 91, of Elizabeth went to be with the Lord on Monday, Dec. 6, 2004, at Elizabeth Nursing Home in Elizabeth.
Bertha was born Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1913, in Thompson Township, rural Woodbine, to Fred and Anna (Brudi) Arnold. Bertha and David W. Hatton were united in marriage on Feb. 6, 1937, at Woodbine Evangelical United Brethren Church in Woodbine.
Bertha graduated from Elizabeth High School in Elizabeth with the class of 1931.
David and Bertha farmed for 36 years in the Stockton area before moving to Lena.
Bertha was a devoted and active member of Woodbine Evangelical United Brethren Church and then of Park Hills Evangelical Free Church of Freeport.
Bertha and David hosted metropolitan-area visitors for summer farm vacations for 11 years. They routinely cared for handicapped children from St. Francis Home in Freeport during holiday seasons. In addition, they cared for numerous foster children who lived in their home.
Bertha enjoyed reading, baking, hosting her family, and sharing her faith through many ladies' Bible studies.
Survivors include one son, Wayne (Sharon) Hatton of Waupaca, Wis.; three daughters, Sherryl (Gary) Bowman of West Chicago, Ardath (Marshall) Winter of Woodbine and Barbara Haytko of Saratoga, Calif.; 11 grandchildren, Steve, Scott and Sue Hatton, Paul and Daniel Bowman, Cristina Loayza, Miriam Fisher, Sheree Kloss, John Winter, Amanda Winter and Taylor Hodges; and 16 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, David; one sister, Rose Woker; two brothers, Manuel and Leon Arnold; two half brothers, Arthur and Cronji Arnold; three half sisters, Cora Carter, Elsie Breed and Minnie Roberts; a granddaughter, Sarah; and a great-grandson, Joshua.
The funeral service for Bertha will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Law-Jones Funeral Home in Elizabeth. Officiating will be Pastor Scott Hatton, Bertha's grandson, who is pastor at Crossroads Church in Grayslake. Burial will be at Woodbine Cemetery.
Friends may call from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be given in Bertha's name.
Aidan C. Kleckler
LENA -- Aidan Charles Kleckler, infant son of Mark and Jayne (Hammer) Kleckler, lived 54 days after his birth Oct. 12, 2004, at The Monroe Clinic Hospital in Monroe, Wis. The baby boy died Monday, Dec. 6, 2004, at St. Mary Hospital in Madison, Wis.
Aidan was baptized at St. John Lutheran Church in Lena.
Surviving family members include his parents of Lena; one brother, Ethan of Lena; maternal grandmother, Dorothy Hammer of Scales Mound; paternal grandparents, Robert and Sophie Kleckler of McConnell; and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Aidan's maternal grandfather, Willis Hammer Jr., died previously.
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at St. John Lutheran Church with the Rev. Rick Bader officiating. Cremation rites were accorded.
Visitation time will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the church.
Arrangements were completed by Leamon Funeral Home.
Loretta Schofield
FREEPORT -- Loretta G. Schofield, 86, of Freeport died Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004, at Stephenson Nursing Center.
She was born Nov. 26, 1918, in Freeport to Charles and Florence (Morris) Fullmer. Loretta married Robert Schofield on Oct. 8, 1985, in Las Vegas. Robert survives.
Mrs. Schofield was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers and three sisters.
Private funeral services will be held. Burial will be in Rock Grove Union Cemetery.
A memorial has been established in her name.
Arrangements were made by Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home.
Eugene S. West
FREEPORT -- Eugene S. West, 75, of Freeport died Monday, Dec. 6, 2004, at Stephenson Nursing Center.
He was born Sept. 2, 1929, in Freeport to James and Bertha (Wing) West. Eugene married Delores J. Lenz on Sept. 21, 1956, in Freeport. Delores died July 31, 1983.
Mr. West was employed as a truck driver for Freeport Material Supply Co., and later worked for Freeport School District and was a Pinkerton guard.
He enjoyed fishing with his children.
Survivors include four sons, James (Christine) Crawford of Hendersonville, N.C., and Greg West, Kirk R. (Tina) West and Dean (Rosemary) West, all of Freeport; three daughters, Gina (Jeff) Jones, Jeanine West and Amy (Jeff) Bardell, all of Freeport; two brothers, Harold (Lou) West of Lockport and George "Butch" Otten of Pecatonica; three sisters, Maxine Gates of Beloit, Wis., Hazel West of Rockford and Karen (Terry) Terrell of La Crosse, Wis.; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; two grandsons, Eric West and Jeffrey S. Jones; two brothers; and one sister.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. today at Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home, with the Rev. Willis Schwichtenberg and Vicar Paul Roggow officiating. Visitation will be from noon today until time of service. Burial will be at Dakota Cemetery.
A memorial fund has been established in his name.
John G. Ekdahl
QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. -- John Glen Ekdahl, 38, of Queen Creek, Ariz., went home to be with our Lord on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2004, at his home.
John was born Aug. 24, 1966, in Battle Creek, Mich., the son of Frank and Donna Ekdahl. He moved to his beloved Arizona at 15 months of age. There he attended Mesa High School. Later, he moved to Freeport where he met and married the love of his life, Jessica Monigold, on Oct. 23, 1999.
John will be greatly missed by his wife, Jess; as well as his daughter, Jordyn; and stepsons, Jacob and Michael; his parents, Frank and Donna; sisters, Kathy and Beth (Jay) Penrod; brother, James (Anna); and nephews and nieces, Joel, Shelby, Josh, James, Juliana, Jacob; and many family friends.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Park Hills Evangelical Free Church in Freeport.
Rita A. Harjanne
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Rita Anna Harjanne, aka Fish, Harrington, 76, of Arlington, Va., died Monday, Aug. 29, 2004, at Arlington Hospital Center, following an extended illness.
Ms. Harjanne was born in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1928, to Toivo Hjlmar Harjanne and Anna Liisa Harjanne, nee Salo, who had emigrated from Finland. She was a resident of Freeport from 1956 to 1980.
Her passion in life was nursing. She received her degree as a registered nurse from the Mount Vernon Nursing School in September 1947, in Mount Vernon, N.Y. After raising her family, she returned to nursing and worked in diverse places, including Freeport Memorial Hospital, in the Arlington area for the International Red Cross, the Bureau of Mines, and for a hospice.
She is survived by five children, Dudley Harrington of Baton Rouge, La., Richard Harrington of Tucson, Ariz., Peggy Phelps of East Lansing, Mich., Wendy Harrington of San Francisco and Christy Harrington of Park City, Utah; two grandchildren, Christopher and Laura Phelps; and a nephew and a grandniece.
Preceding her in death were her parents; half sister; and a niece.
Services were held in Silver Springs, Va.
A nursing scholarship has been established in her name: Dorothea Hopfer School of Nursing; Mount Vernon Hospital; Re: Rita Harjanne Memorial; Scholarship Fund; 53 Valentine St.; Mount Vernon NY 10550.
Gerald W. Murray
FREEPORT -- Gerald W. Murray, 78, of Freeport died Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004, at FHN Memorial Hospital.
Born Oct. 15, 1926, in Stockton, he was the son of James and Linda (Schultz) Murray. Gerald married Anita Summers on Jan. 20, 1951. Anita died Feb. 18, 1986.
Mr. Murray served honorably in the U.S. Navy from 1944 through 1968, retiring in May 1968 with a rank of lieutenant. He was Assistant Freeport City Engineer from 1968 to 1983.
He was a member of Grace Episcopal Church.
Surviving are his son, William Murray of New Jersey; daughters, Marjorie Murray and Jean (Joel) Johnson, both of Freeport; brother, Marvin (Irene) Murray of Evington, Va.; three sisters, Velma (Clyde) Bausman of Forreston, Verna (Robert) Kintzel of Freeport, and Shirley (Robert) Kort of Cassville, Wis.; grandchildren, Paul and Christopher Murray, Jesse Hunt, and Anita, Elizabeth, Leah and Sara Johnson.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; and one sister, Vera (Elmer) Fox.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Walker Mortuary with the Rev. Mary Ann Hill of Grace Episcopal Church officiating. Burial will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. Monday until time of service at the funeral home.
A memorial fund has been established in his name.
Richard E. Ritenour
LOS FRESNOS, Texas -- Richard Eugene "Rit" Ritenour, 78, passed away Thursday, Dec. 2, 2004, at his home in Los Fresno, Texas.
Rit was born May 11, 1925, on a small farm home in Mount Carroll, the son of Dent and Amy Ritenour.
After graduating from high school in 1943, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and served on a B-17 bomber in the European Campaign of World War II, flying 35 mission as a bombardier until the end of the war.
Returning home and after working for the railroad and driving freight trucks, he learned to fly and discovered the love of his life, flying. Rit then started a crop-dusting business that operated for more than 30 years. Also during that period, he managed an airport, gave flight instruction, and owned and operated a grain elevator, all in northern Illinois.
In 1981, Rit and his wife, Betty, relocated to south Texas, where he "retired." During his retirement, he served on the police force and obtained his captain's license to provide fishing tours. In keeping with his love for flying, he continued to give flight instruction until 1999, and worked at the Brownsville and Cameron County Airports. In 1995, at 70, Rit restored a Piper Super Cub and flew it solo from South Padre Island, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska. He had just completed writing a book about his flying career titled "As the Prop Turns."
Mr. Ritenour was a member of the Baptist Church of Rio Honda, Texas.
In his lifelong love for flying, Rit adopted the motto, "God is My Co-Pilot" and has taken his final flight to Heaven and is now at peace with God.
He is survived by Betty, his beloved wife of 32 years; his brother, Ronald Ritenour of Lanark; daughters, Pamela Beyer of Fallbrook, Calif., Tanya Phillips of Mendota and Nancy Robeson of LaSalle; sons, Gregory Ritenour of Fort Worth, Texas, David Wonders of Channelview, Texas and Mark Wonders of Streator; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Cremation rites were accorded and a memorial service will be held at a later date.
Rit is joining his deceased brothers, Robert and Gerald; and sisters, Dorothy Williamson and Lucille Crouse.
Leanne K. Taylor
BAILEYVILLE -- Leanne K. Vanderburg Taylor, 29, of Baileyville died Monday, Dec. 6, 2004, in Rockford.
She was born March 5, 1975, in Freeport, the daughter of Mark and Kimberly Petit Vandenburg. Leanne was married to Avery Taylor.
Leanne attended Forreston schools and Baileyville Reformed Church and its Sunday school.
Surviving are her father, Mark (Diane) Vanderburg; her mother, Kimberly Harrison; one son, McKai; three daughters, Katie, Makayli and MaKenzie; paternal grandmother, Lorraine Lindblom; maternal grandmother, Kay Swanson; and paternal great-grandmother, Vera Vandenburg.
Preceding Leanne in death were her paternal grandfather, maternal grandfather, paternal great-grandfather and maternal great-grandparents.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Baileyville Reformed Church with the Rev. John Tilstra, pastor of the church, officiating. Burial will be at Cranes Grove Cemetery in Freeport.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home in Forreston.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Leanne's name for her children.
Dr. Frederick Abel
LAKE CARROLL -- Dr. Frederick Paul Abel, 83 years of age, of Lake Carroll died Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004, at FHN Memorial Hospital in Freeport.
He was born Aug. 7, 1921, in Glendive, Mont., the son of Albert and Harriet (Thompson) Abel. On June 16, 1946, Frederick and Carroll DeWald were married in Red Wing, Minn.
He received his bachelor's degree from Winona State University and his master's and doctorate from the University of Minnesota. in Minneapolis.
Prior to his retirement, he was the Dean of the College of Education at Western Illinois University in Macomb. He also was a professor of Educational Administration at Western.
His memberships included Phi Delta Kappa, NASSP, IASSP, NEA and IEA.
A member of Lanark United Methodist Church, he sang in the choir and served on the board of trustees. In addition, he was a member of the Lake Carroll POA Board and Lake Carroll Choral Singers.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy.
Survivors include his wife of Lake Carroll; one sister, Pauline Abel of LaCrosse, Wis.; his children, Richard (Joyce) Abel, Doug (Connie) Abel, Brian (Lynn) Abel, Kathy Abel, David (Tina) Abel and Kris (Mike) Abel-Helwig; 20 grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
His parents died previously.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Lanark United Methodist Church with Pastor Katheryn Ling officiating. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Russell-Frank Funeral Home in Lanark.
A memorial fund has been established in his memory for the American Cancer Society or a charity of choice.
