ANNAPOLIS - Bernard "Barney" Craig, 80, of rural Annapolis, Illinois, died Friday, Oct. 20, 2000 at 3:29 p.m. at Select Specialty Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind.
The funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Prust-Hosch Funeral Chapel, in West Union, with Pastor Don Russell and Brother Charles Rains officiating.
Burial will be in Olive Branch Cemetery, north of Annapolis.
Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. today and before the service on Tuesday at the funeral home.
He was born May 8, 1920, in Darwin Township, Clark County, the son of Edward and Madge Miller Craig.
His wife Josephine "Jo" Craig, who he married in 1940, survives.
Other survivors include one son, Eddie Craig of Oblong; one grandchild; and one great-grandchild.
He was a retired farmer and had served as Orange Township highway commissioner for 10 years. He was a member of the Clark County Farm Bureau.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the American Heart Association.
Grace Dowell
Grace May Dowell, age 91, of Mattoon, passed away at 9:57 a.m. on Saturday, October 21, 2000, at the Douglas Care & Rehab Center.
Funeral services celebrating her life will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday at the Schilling Funeral Home with the Reverend Barbara Short officiating.
Burial will be in the Dodge Grove Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until service time on Tuesday morning at the funeral home.
Grace was born at Bloomington on March 20, 1909, a daughter of William and Nora Johnson McConnell.
She married Gilbert Henry Dowell on September 15, 1933.
He passed away on April 20, 1970.
She was also preceded in death by one stepson and three brothers.
Survivors include two sons, Byron Dowell and wife Johnie of Levelland, Texas and Raymond Dowell and wife Julie of Mattoon; two daughters, Linda Dowell of Mattoon and Nancy Pedigo of Decatur; one brother, Edward McConnell of Morris; one sister, Mary Evans of Normal; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Dowell worked as a housekeeper at the former Mattoon Memorial Hospital.
She was a member of the Marshall Avenue Christian Church and volunteered her time at the Senior Citizens Center.
Herbert "Bob" Peak, Jr.
CASEY, IL - Herbert B. "Bob" Peak, Jr. , 81, of Casey, died at 4:02 p.m. Monday (Oct. 23, 2000) at Regional Hospital, in Terre Haute, Ind.
The funeral will be 7 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 26, 2000) at the Markwell Funeral Home, Casey, with the Rev. David Beerbower officiating.
Visitation will be 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, with a Masonic service at 6:30 p.m., by the Casey Masonic Lodge #442, at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Casey V.F.W. Post 5762, 12 E. Albany St., Casey, IL 62420.
He was born January 24, 1919, in Loveland, Colorado, the son of Herbert B. Peak, Sr. and Nellie Gertrude Puntney Peak.
He married Elizabeth L. Jones on January 12, 1941, in Bremerton, Wash.; she survives in Casey.
Other survivors include a daughter, Jenny Ellexson and husband Jerry of Casey, IL; two grandsons, Levi and Chris Ellexson both of Casey, IL; sister, Gertrude Beckner of Bremerton WA.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two half brothers, Ed and Lyle Peak; half sister, Edna Barager and two sisters, Jacqlin and Ruth Peak; son, Robert Murrell Peak in 1942. Mr. Peak was a member of the Casey Masonic Lodge, Post 442, and a lifetime member of the Casey V.F.W. Post 5762.
Herbert Peak served as a boat captain in the South Pacific from 1944-1946 during WW II. His service took him to New Guinea and the Philippines. He was in the first wave of Occupation Forces to enter Japan after the Peace Treaty was signed. He came ashore at Nagoya, moved to Hiroshima and finished his tour in Kobe, Japan.
Herbert mustered out at the end of WW II to enter college. After college, he chose the military as his career and entered the service March 1, 1951. He was stationed at Oakland Army Base in Oakland, CA, and was a member of the repatriotion team which helped return the bodies of fallen servicemen to their families.
Herbert served his stateside assignment at Fort Eustis, Virginia with the Transportation Corp. of the United States Army. From 1962-1967, he was Commander of the 3rd Port at Fort Eustis and was responsible for movement of the Army Fleet down the east coast during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
In February 1953, Herbert was sent to Pusan, Korea as Commander of the shipyard during the Korean Conflict. He also was a founding member of the Pusan Children's Charity Hospital supported by the Masonic Organization. He served in Kobe, Japan from 1954-1956 in the Shipyard and 1959-1962 in the Panama Canal Zone as Commander of Dock 45 on the Atlantic Side and Pier 21 on the Pacific Side.
In July 1965 Herbert took a battalion to Qui Non to establish the first Army port in Vietnam. He established and commanded the port though 1966.
In 1967 he returned to Pusan, Korea as Commander of the Port of Pusan until January 1970. Herbert retired from the service in October 1971. He also helped found the first Masonic Lodge in Pusan.
Herbert's service decorations include: WW II Victory Medal, Korean Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/Dev. 60, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal w/OLC, National Defense Service Medal, AOM (Japan), ROKPUC, UNSM, ACM, AROM, LM, AFEM (Korea) and the Bronze Star.
Willis Bercaw
WEST YORK - Willis M. "Bill" Bercaw, 90, of West York, died at 12:01 a.m. Monday (Oct. 23, 2000) at Crawford Memorial Hospital in Robinson.
A graveside service will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Bradbury Cemetery, east of West York, with the Rev. Richard Chapman officiating.
No visitation is planned.
The Prust-Hosch Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
He was born March 12, 1910, in Paris, the son of Grover and Edna Jones Bercaw.
He married Barbara Bell in 1939; she survives.
Also surviving is one son, Allan Bercaw of Troy, Mich.
He was preceded in death by one brother.
Mr. Bercaw retired as a sales engineer from Bendix Aviation.
He was an Army veteran of World War II.
Julia Blanford
URBANA - Julia Blanford, 86, of Urbana, formerly of Charleston, died at 3:30 a.m. Monday (Oct. 23, 2000) at Champaign County Nursing Home, Urbana.
The funeral will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Otterbein United Methodist Church, Charleston, with the Rev. Sharon Monroe officiating.
Burial will be in Mound Cemetery.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Harper-Swickard Funeral Home.
She was born April 27, 1914, in Hancock County, Ky., the daughter of John Franklin and Agnes Antle Turner.
She married Robert "Bob" Blanford in 1947; he died in 1972.
Surviving are one son, Hal Loomis of Ocala, Fla.; two daughters, Nancy Blanford of Urbana and Alice Wilmert of Lincoln; one sister, Dorothy Gross of Franklin, Ind.; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
She was also preceded in death by four brothers and two sisters.
Mrs. Blanford retired in 1975 after teaching for more than 29 years. She had taught first and fourth grade. She was a member of the Otterbein United Methodist Church, the Charleston BPW and the Coles County Retired Teachers Association; a lifetime member of the PTA; and a volunteer for RSVP.
Memorials may be made to the Champaign County Nursing Home Auxiliary, Urbana, or the Otterbein United Methodist Church, Charleston.
Willie High
MATTOON - Willie L. High, 53, of Mattoon, died at 8:11 a.m. Monday (Oct. 23, 2000) at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.
Arrangements are incomplete at the Schilling Funeral Home.
Judyth Johnson
MATTOON - Judyth Johnson, 60, of Mattoon, died at 4:50 a.m. Monday (Oct. 23, 2000) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.
Arrangements are incomplete at the Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home.
Kenneth Moore
CHARLESTON - Kenneth L. Moore, 65, of Charleston, died at 1:40 p.m. Monday (Oct. 23, 2000) at his residence.
The funeral will be 10 a.m. Thursday at Harper-Swickard Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Mound Cemetery.
Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
He was born Jan. 17, 1935, in Coles County, the son of Morgan and Bernice Werden Moore.
Surviving are one son, Mark Moore of Kansas; one daughter, Tami Johnson of Ashmore; one brother, Joe Moore of New Bloomfield, Mo; four grandchildren; and special friend, Charlotte Perry.
He was preceded in death by one daughter and one brother.
Mr. Moore was a carpenter for many years. He was a member of the Charleston Eagles Club.
Carl Morton Sr.
WHITEWATER, Wis. - Carl Wilson Morton Sr., 82, of Whitewater, Wis., formerly of Trilla, died Monday (Oct. 16, 2000) at the Mercy Health System in Janesville, Wis.
A memorial mass was held Saturday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Minonk.
Burial will be in Punch Bowl National Veterans Cemetery in Honolulu.
He was born April 25, 1918, in Trilla, the son of Frank and Cora Wilson Morton.
He married Vera Mescher in 1946; she survives.
Also surviving are four sons, Timothy Morton of Wauwatosa, Wis., Carl W. Morton Jr. of Elgin, Tom Morton of Galesburg and John Morton of Honolulu; two daughters, Jane Nollman of Dundee and Suzanne Cuarisma of Honolulu; one brother, Robert Morton of Mattoon; one sister, Margaret Boydston of Claredon Hills; and five grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one brother and one sister.
Mr. Wilson taught school in the Minonk school system from 1961 to 1987.
He was the first president of the Streator Jr. Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the NEA of Illinois Teachers Retirement Association, the St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Whitewater, Wis., and the American Legion Post 142.
He was a Fourth Degree Knight of Knights of Columbus of Minonk.
Herbert Peak
CASEY - Herbert Peak, 81, of Casey died at 4:02 p.m. Monday (Oct. 23, 2000).
Arrangements are incomplete at Markwell Funeral Home in Casey.
John William Bushur
NEOGA - John William Bushur, 90, of Neoga, Illinois, formerly of rural Sigel, Illinois, died at 3:47 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 19, 2000) at St. Anthony Memorial Hospital, Effingham, Ill.
The funeral will be 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 23, 2000, at St. Michael, The Archangel Church, Sigel, Ill., with Father Robert DeGrand of Sigel, Ill., and Sr. Pat Thies of Neoga, Ill., officiating.
Burial will be in St. Michael's Cemetery, Sigel, Ill., with military rites conducted by American Legion Post #1134 of Sigel, Ill.
Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, 2000, with a 7:30 p.m. wake service at the Swengel-O'Dell Funeral Home, Neoga, Ill.
He was born January 9, 1910, in Sigel, Ill., the son of William J. and Katherine E. (Hartman) Bushur.
He married Frances M. "Fanny" Ludwig on September 7, 1943 in Green Creek, Ill.; she died on November 2, 1994.
Survivors include a brother, Kermit A. Bushur of Ocoee, Florida; and several nieces and nephews.
He was also preceded in death by a sister, Mrs. Helen Springer.
Mr. Bushur was a retired farmer.
He was a United States Army WW II veteran, a member of the St. Michael, The Archangel Church in Sigel, Ill., and a charter member of the American Legion Post #1134 of Sigel, Ill.
Memorials may be made to St. Michael, The Archangel Church, Sigel, Ill., or St. Michael School, Sigel, Ill.
