Darryl "Rex" Landon
Darryl "Rex" Landon, age 63, of Tracy, California died on November 23, 1998 at Sutter Hospital in Tracy, California. He was born in Abingdon on August 28, 1935. He and his wife, Judy Ann Landon had been married for 41 years. Surviving are two daughters, Connie Day, Lathrop, California and Sandi Collins, Sacramento, California; one son, Donald Landon, Tracy, California; two brothers, Clyde Landon, Galesburg and Carl Landon, Abingdon; five sisters, Nellie Landon, Georgia Davis and Norma Roberts, all of Galesburg; Clara Gilbert, Abingdon and Grace Maginson, Ontario, California; ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He had lived in Tracy, California for 27 years and also lived all over the world while serving with the Air Force. He was a mechanic at Owens Brockway. He was a member of the Air Force Society. He enjoyed his computer and loved to go fishing. He also loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather, and friend. He was a proud veteran. He was retired from the Air Force. Funeral services were held November 27 at the Fry Memorial Chapel. Private burial will be at a later date.
Carl L. Whitenack
Carl L. Whitenack, 76, St. Augustine, passed away at 1:21 a.m. Tuesday, November 24, 1998, at his home. Born April 5, 1922, in Galesburg to Samuel and Louise Canfield Whitenack, he married Juanita Long in 1957. He later married Loy Lea Bacon who preceded him in death. He married Louise Kilburn in 1997. She survives. Also surviving are four stepsons, Larry Long, Paulina, IA, Greg Bacon and Gary Bacon, both of Galesburg and Clifford L. Dixon, Brentwood, TN; three stepdaughters, Sharon Herren, Memphis, TN, Paulette Alwine, York, PA, and Mary Gosnell, Spring Valley, IL; several grandchildren; one brother Robert Whitenack, Abingdon; two sisters, Elizabeth Mitezel, Naples, FL and Gladys Barstow, Grand Junction, CO. He was preceded in death by his parents, one wife, five brothers, and two sisters. He graduated from Avon High School. He was employed at Gale Products for 11 years and farmed for 50 years in the St. Augustine area. He was a U.S. Army Air Corps Veteran of WWII. He was a member of Abingdon Christian Church, Avon Lions Club, Harry E. Wiles American Legion Post 381 in Abingdon, 40X8 in Galesburg, VFW Post 1422 in Galesburg, and Fulton County Farm Bureau. Graveside services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 28, at the Avon Cemetery with the Rev. Raymond G. McLaren officiating. Military rites were conducted by Harry E. Wiles American Legion Post 381 at the graveside. Memorials may be made to the Abingdon Christian Church; Community Hospices of America; Abingdon American Legion Post 381 or the Avon Lions Club.
Raymond Pippitt
Raymond L. Pippitt, age 82, of London Mills, died at 11:42 a.m. Saturday, November 28, 1998, at Farmington Center in Farmington. Born May 27, 1916, in Ellisville to John L. and Sylvia Alpaugh Pippitt, he married LaNorma Terwilliger on December 5, 1940, in Iowa. She survives. Also surviving are two daughters, Sylvia Shawgo of Farmington and Debbie Martin of London Mills; two sisters, Alberta Bennett of Canton and Madlyn Neil of Richland, Washington; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. One brother and two grandchildren preceded him in death. He was a World War II Army Air Force veteran. He retired from Butler Manufacturing in Galesburg. Services were held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at London Mills United Methodist Church with Rev. Rick Kerr officiating. Burial was in Abingdon Cemetery in Abingdon where military rites were conducted by Harry E. Wiles American Legion Post 381. Corman Memorial Home in London Mills was in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be made to London Mills United Methodist Church.
Alberta Toops
Alberta Toops, 75, of 505 W. First Ave., Monmouth, died at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, November 28, 1998, at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. Born September 6, 1923, in Swan Creek to Albert and Iva Hale Day, she married Weldon "Buck" Toops on June 27, 1942, in Kahoka, Mo. He survives. Also surviving are four daughters, Mrs. Ed (Welda) Raes and Mrs. John (Carol) Lybarger, both of Monmouth, Mrs. Ken (Sandy) Denny of East Galesburg and Mrs. Lewis (Mary) Bloesing of Surry, W. Virginia; one son, David of Hazel Green, Alabama; three brothers, Ernest Day of Abingdon, Albert Day Jr. of Watseka and Edward Day of Monmouth; two sisters, Jessie Shook of Waukegan and Marjorie Murphy of Grayslake; 12 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Two grandchildren and two brothers preceded her in death. She worked for the former Benner Tea Company in Monmouth for many years. She was a member of Little York United Methodist Church. Services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Turnbull Funeral Home in Monmouth with Rev. David Hultberg officiating. Burial was in Warren County Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorials may be made to her church.
James W. Helton
James W. Helton, 67, San Antonio, Texas, formerly of Roseville, Illinois, died Friday, November 6, 1998 at home. He was born April 19, 1931, the son of Walter and Louise Helton. He married Helen Ivanic in Wisconsin. Surviving are his wife; two sons, Mark Helton and John Helton, both in Texas; four daughters, Teresa Hawkins, Alba, Becky Tomaselli, in Florida, and Jacqueline Gross and Jennifer VanZandt, both of Texas; one brother, Jon Helton in California, and five sisters, Kay Blue, Monmouth, Illinois, Margaret Curtis and Marsha Riley, both of Galesburg, Illinois, Jean Kindhart, Roseville, and Carol Norris, Industry, Illinois. He was graduated from Roseville High School, and was a member of the Boy Scouts. He was retired from the Air Force. A graveside service and military honors were held November 12 in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.
John Michael Ewen Jr.
Last rites for John Michael "Mike" Ewen Jr., 64, Roseville, were held Tuesday, December 1, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Raritan. Rev. Carl LoPresti officiated and interment was in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. Mr. Ewen died Friday, November 27, 1998 at 7:40 a.m. in Community Medical Center, Monmouth. Corman Memorial Home, Roseville, was in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be left to LaMoine Christian Nursing Home, Roseville, or to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. The son of John Sr. and Mary Etta Churchman Ewen, he was born June 9, 1934, in Michael. He married Carolyn Oberjohnn, June 19, 1959 in Litchfield, who survives. He also leaves his mother in Brighton; a son Chuck Ewen in Macomb; three daughters, Mrs. Terry (Brenda) Cummings of Monticello, Mrs. Don (Linda) Farr of Roseville and Mrs. Kent (Ellen) Poulter in Good Hope; a sister, Mrs. Robert (Rosemary) Schoeberle of Brighton; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father. Mr. Ewen served with the US Air Force from 1956 to 1960. He farmed for 32 years in Warren County, was a member of the Warren and Henderson Counties Farm Bureaus and attended St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Raritan.
Carl Max Smith
Carl Max Smith, age 69, of 56 Herring Avenue, Galesburg, Illinois, died at 4:42 p.m. Thursday, November 26, 1998 at OSF St. Mary Medical Center emergency room, Galesburg. He was born March 26, 1929 at Astoria, Illinois, the son of Carl Nathan and Mattie Leota Smith. He married Theresa Peltier in Conn. in 1951. They were divorced. Surviving are his father, Carl N. Smith, Galesburg; two sons Rodney L. Smith, Galesburg and Roger A. Smith, Kent, Washington; one brother Loren W. Smith, East Peoria, three sisters, Margery Albin, Galesburg, Maxine Homer, Abingdon and Donna Moore, Peoria, Illinois; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother and one brother. He had lived in Galesburg and Abingdon areas most of his life. He retired from Butler Manufacturing Company in Galesburg. He was a Navy Veteran of the Korean conflict. Services were held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday December 2 at Linwood Cemetery, Galesburg with Rev. David Seitz officiating. Military honors were accorded with Harry E. Wiles American Legion Post #381 Abingdon in charge. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Chapel, Abingdon was in charge of the arrangements.
Leona I. "Sis" Curtis
Leona I. "Sis" Curtis, 68, of 516 East Jackson, Macomb, passed away at 4:11 p.m. Sunday, December 6, 1998 at McDonough District Hospital in Macomb. She was born on May 12, 1930 in the Canton area to Paul and Gladys Smith Hickenbottom. She married Dana M. "Curly" Curtis on June 10,1947 in Macomb. He survives. Also surviving are one step-son, Gary (Karen) Flynn of Colchester; three brothers, Eugene (Joan) Hickenbottom of Bushnell, Carroll (Sandy) Hickenbottom of Dallas City, and Larry (Beverly) Hickenbottom of Carthage; two step-grandchildren, Mrs. Chris (Geri) Schneider of Geneseo and Kelly (Shellie) Flynn of Colchester; four step great-grandchildren, Eric Blackert of Geneseo and Seth, Stefan, and Sawyer Flynn of Colchester; one sister-in law, Mrs. Cleo (Melba) Peterson of Augusta, and several nieces and nephews. Sis lived in Schuyler County in her early years for eleven years, then Warren County for twenty two years, and then moved to McDonough County and retired to Macomb in 1984. She worked on the family farm with her husband. She was a member of the Ramblin’ Roses Square Dance Club in Roseville and was active at the YMCA Senior Center in Macomb. Services were held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 9, 1998 at the Clugston-Tibbitts Funeral Home in Macomb with Reverend Loren Curtis officiating. Burial was in the Brooklyn Cemetery in Brooklyn, Illinois. Memorials may be made to either the Roseville Ambulance Service or the Augusta Assembly of God Church Building Fund.
C. Grayson Crook
Grayson Crook of Fort Collins died Monday at Poudre Valley Hospital. He was 86. A memorial service was held Saturday at Warren-Bohlender Funeral Chapel with Rev. Paul Moyer officiating. Interment of remains followed. Grayson Crook was born August 11, 1912, in Fort Morgan, the son of Orion Scott Crook and Ida Grayson Crook. His only brother, Glenn, died in childhood of scarlet fever. He graduated from Weldona High School in 1929 and earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Colorado A&M, now Colorado State University, in 1934. While in college he was a varsity letterman in baseball and track, a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and a member of the college livestock judging team. He also was a member of Alpha Tau Alpha scholastic honor society. In June 1935, he married Lucile Maxine Edmondson of Berthoud. The couple had two sons, Arthur Grayson, who died in April 1996 and Robert Scott of Fort Collins, who survives. Mr. Crook taught vocational agriculture, math and coached at both Johnstown and Timnath high schools in the late 1930’s In 1941, the family moved to Trinidad, where Mr. Crook worked for the Soil Conservation Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Following the death of his father in 1946, the family moved to the Crook homestead at Weldona, where they farmed until 1971, when Grayson and Lucile moved to Fort Collins. In 1970’s and early ‘80s, he sold standby power generators for the Winpower Corp, of Newton, Iowa, covering a territory of Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. Following his wife’s death in 1981, Grayson married Mary Ellen Reese of Abingdon, Illinois, who survives him. They met in Fort Collins and were married September 12, 1982.The couple were staunch boosters of CSU athletics and held season tickets for football and basketball for years. They traveled the nation in support of CSU teams and were long time members of the Ram Booster Club. Mr. Crook was an avid hunter and outdoorsman, gaining renown as an expert fly fisherman on the Poudre River. He was a past member of Oasis Lodge No. 67, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons in Fort Morgan; was a member of the Shriners; and attained Yorkrite and Scottish rite Degrees. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fort Collins Alzheimer’s Association, 415 Peterson St. Fort Collins Colorado 80521.
