BEECH GROVE, Ind. - George Robert Leonard, 69, of
Beech Grove, Ind., formerly of Humboldt, died
Thursday (Sept. 6, 2001) at his residence.
The funeral will be 1 p.m. Monday at the
Stirling-Gerber Funeral Home, Indianapolis, with
Pastor Philip J. Krupski officiating. Burial will be St.
John Lutheran Cemetery, Indianapolis. Visitation will
be 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
He was born June 17, 1932, in Humboldt, the son of
George and Thelma Kearney Leonard. He married Mary
A. McMichael in 1982; she survives.
Other survivors include four sons, Glen E. Leonard of
Mattoon, Robert Leonard of Kissimmee, Fla., Chris D.
Leonard of Shelbyville and Fred A. Leonard of
Mattoon; five daughters, Julia A. Fasking of Mattoon,
Donna S. Blackburn of Villa Grove, Tena M. Logan of
Mattoon, Patricia L. Robison of Neoga and Tracy D.
Carey of Beech Grove, Ind.; one brother, Thomas W.
Leonard of Beech Grove; one sister, Jane Stogsdill of
Indianapolis; 13 grandchildren; and two
great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two sisters.
Mr. Leonard was a truck driver for 17 years for
Controlled Temperature Transit in Indianapolis, a
driver for ABC Auto Auction for six months and
former truck driver for NAB. He was a member of the
St. John Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, and the
American Military Heritage Foundation.
Memorials may be made to St. Francis Hospice, Beech
Grove, Ind., or Now Finish the Work Fund c/o St. John
Lutheran Church in Indianapolis.
Ruth Vest
ARCOLA - Ruth Vest, 71, of Arcola, died at 4:25 p.m.
Thursday (Sept. 6, 2001) at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health
Center.
The funeral will be 11 a.m. Monday at Edwards Funeral
Home, Arcola, with the Rev. Joseph Allen officiating.
Burial will be in Villa Grove Cemetery, Villa Grove.
Visitation will be two hours prior to the service at the
funeral home.
She was born July 27, 1927, in Hindsboro, the daughter
of John and Dorothy Swift Vest.
Survivors include one brother, James Gilmer of Villa
Grove.
Miss Vest lived at the Hope House in Arcola and
participated in the CCAR Senior Program in Charleston
for several years.
Memorials may be made to the Hope House in Arcola.
John Bahney
NEOGA, Illinois - John T. Bahney, 86, of Neoga,
Illinois, died at 12:40 a.m. Thursday, September 6, 2001
at St. Anthony Memorial Hospital, Effingham, Illinois.
The funeral will be 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 10, 2001, at
the Swengel-O'Dell Funeral Home, in Neoga, with the
Rev. Steve Massengill officiating. Visitation will be 6-8
p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001, at the funeral home. A
graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday at
the Stine Cemetery near St. James, Ill.
He was born January 22, 1915, in Vandalia, Illinois, a
son of Bert and Carrie (Yarber) Bahney. He married Ina
Stein on February 12, 1939 in St. Elmo, Illinois; she
died on May 15, 1950. He married N. Jane Swarm on
March 8, 1951 in Piggott, Arkansas; she died on April
25, 1997.
Survivors include three sons, Lyndal Bahney and wife
Marilyn of Colony, Kansas, Larry Bahney and wife
Tami of North Canton, Ohio and David Bahney of
Charleston, Illinois; three daughters, Mrs. Dennis
(Linda) Perry of Mattoon, Ill., Mrs. Danny (Mary)
Bolyard of Effingham, Ill. and Donna Noffke of
Mattoon, Ill.; sister, Mrs. Willa Mae "Peg" Cutright of
Casey, Ill.; 12 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren.
He was also preceded in death by three brothers and
one sister.
Mr. Bahney was a pipefitter. He attended the Free
Methodist Church in Neoga and was a member of Local
No. 146 of Savoy, Ill.
Memorials may be made to the Heartland Christian
Village in Neoga, Ill.
Bernice Carter
LOVINGTON - Bernice Marie Carter, 80, of Lovington,
died at 2:12 p.m. Wednesday, September 5, 2001, in St.
Mary's Hospital, Decatur.
Funeral services will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the
McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Lovington, visitation
will be Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the funeral
home. Burial will be in the Keller Cemetery, Lovington.
Memorials: Lovington Ambulance Department or
Donor's Choice.
She was born on June 5, 1921, in Red Boiling Springs,
TN., the daughter of John and Eliza Jane Hammer
Dotson. She retired from the Brown Shoe Company
and Swithcraft in Sullivan. She was a member of the
Baptist Church in Lovington. She married Aldridge B.
Carter on January 21, 1939, in Scottsville, Ky., and he
survives.
Surviving are her daughters, Brenda Smith and
husband Grant; Sandy Cook and husband Randy,
Becky Wells and husband Don all of Mt. Zion; sister,
Laviryl Blankenship of Lafayette, TN., 1 granddaughter,
5 grandsons, 5 step grandchildren, 7
great-grandchildren, 11 step-great-grandchildren. She
was preceded in death by her parents, one brother and 3
sisters.
ROBERT HOEFLER
Robert Edward "Bob" Hoefler, age 77, of Mattoon,
passed away at 1:05 a.m. on Thursday, September 6,
2001, at the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.
Funeral services celebrating his life will begin at 1:30
p.m. on Sunday afternoon at the Schilling Funeral
Home with the Reverend Robert C. Clark officiating.
Burial with graveside military rites by the V.F.W. Post
4325 will follow in the Dodge Grove Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Saturday
evening at the funeral home.
Bob was born December 1, 1923, in Shawnee,
Oklahoma, a son of Henry and Ann Bryce Hoefler. He
married Dorothy Ann Myler on December 6, 1946 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Survivors include his wife of fifty-four years, Dorothy
Hoefler of Mattoon; two sons, Robert Hoefler Jr. and
wife Lynette of Taunton, Massachusetts and Charles
"Dan" Hoefler of Mattoon; one daughter, Donna Hoefler
Clark and husband Terry of Mattoon; eight
grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and his beloved
little dog, Tillie.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and
Ann, one brother, Sonny Hoefler, and one sister, Mary
Ellen Hoefler.
Mr. Hoefler purchased the Etog Bowling Alley in 1972
and was its owner and operator for twenty-one years.
He also owned Hessy's Bowling Alley in Sullivan
before retiring to Lewisport, Kentucky. He and his wife
Dorothy returned to Mattoon this Spring due to illness
to be close to family and friends. He had also worked
for the New York Central Railroad and U.S.I. Chemical
Plant in Tuscola for fifteen years. He was a member of
the Chestnut Grove Church in Lewisport, Kentucky and
the V.F.W. Post 4325. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of
World War II, serving nine years. Bob was an avid gun
collector, gardener and loved to build custom furniture.
He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved
him.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Coles County
Animal Shelter.
Eileen Kendall
SULLIVAN - Eileen M. Kendall, 75, of Sullivan, died at
1:15 a.m. Thursday (Sept. 6, 2001) at her residence.
Arrangements are incomplete at Reed Funeral Home,
Sullivan.
Sigrid Lawyer
HARLINGEN, Texas - Sigrid R. Lawyer, 72, of
Harlingen, Texas, formerly of Charleston, died July 28,
2001, at Valley Baptist Medical Center.
A graveside service will be 10 a.m. Saturday at the
Ashmore Cemetery with the Rev. Robert Holmes
officiating. The Caudill-King Funeral Home is in charge
of local arrangements.
Mrs. Lawyer was born Aug. 7, 1928, in Oakland, the
daughter of Layton and Clarice Hite Swinford. She
married Jack Lawyer in 1963; he survives.
Velma Pierce
MATTOON - Velma E. Pierce, 89, of Mattoon, died at
5:59 a.m. Thursday (Sept. 6, 2001) at Sarah Bush
Lincoln Health Center.
The funeral will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the
Swengel-O'Dell Funeral Home in Neoga with the Rev.
Jim Dona officiating. Burial will be in Drummond
Cemetery, Neoga. Visitation will be two hours prior to
the service at the funeral home.
She was born Aug. 4, 1912, in Palmer, the daughter of
William and Martha Durvin Raymer. She married
Charles Pierce in 1929; he died in 1990.
Survivors include two sons, Richard Pierce of New
Castle, Ind., and David Pierce of Mattoon; one
grandchild; and three great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two brothers and one
sister.
Mrs. Pierce had worked at the Cunningham Nursing
Home and Douglas Nursing Center, both in Mattoon.
She was a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church,
Mattoon.
Hazel Ritter
MATTOON - Hazel D. Ritter, 93, of Mattoon, died at
8:58 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 5, 2001) at the Douglas
Care and Rehabilitation Center.
The funeral will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the
Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home. Burial will be in Dodge
Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be two hour prior to
the service at the funeral home.
She was born March 26, 1908, in Harrodsburg, Ky., the
daughter of James and Ida Adkisson Foster. She
married Reber William Ritter in 1925; he preceded her
in death.
Survivors include four sons, Marvin "Sonny" Roy
Ritter of Decatur, Irvin Wendell Ritter of Decatur, Larry
Lee Ritter of Mattoon and Gary Ray Ritter of Decatur;
four daughters, Kathleen Phalen of Rockford, Madonna
Moncel of Mattoon, Martha Crookshank of Decatur and
Judith Stewart of Arlington, Texas; one sister, Louise
Szabo of Toledo, Ohio; 24 grandchildren; 32
great-grandchildren; and three
great-great-grandchildren.
She was also preceded in death by two brothers, four
sisters, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Mrs. Ritter had worked at the Brown Shoe Company as
an inspector and as a sales clerk at several community
businesses. She was a member of the First Christian
Church and former member of the Rebekah Lodge.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association
or the First Christian Church.
JOHN HALSEY
OTTAWA - John H. Halsey, 56, of Ottawa, Illinois,
formerly of Grayslake, IL, went to be with the Lord
Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2001, at Community Hospital, Ottawa,
IL.
Services will be held at the First Baptist Church in
Ottawa Friday at 10 a.m. with visitation Thursday
evening 5 to 8 at the Mueller Funeral Home, Ottawa.
Burial will be in the Oakwood Memorial Cemetery.
He is the son of John George and Elsie Boyle Halsey.
Surviving is his father of Lake Villa, IL. His wife
Barbara, a daughter Melissa (Bob) Kohler of Wisconsin
and grandsons Jake and Joe Switalski. A brother
George (Diane) Halsey of Charleston. A sister Audrey
Berguland of Grayslake, IL. An uncle, Alan Halsey of
Charleston. Nephews Brian (Christine) Halsey of
Charleston, Ralph Edwards of Grayslake, IL; and Tony
Halsey of Peoria, IL.
Nieces Brandi (Mike) French of Mahomet, IL. Robin
Moorehead of Hawaii and Rhonda Edwards of
Grayslake, IL. Eight great nieces and nephews. Cousins
Robert (Judy) Halsey of Charleston and Doris (Bill)
Richey of Ashmore, IL.
He was preceded in death by his mother.
Mr. Halsey served in the United States Air Force and
was a retired deputy from the Lake County Illinois
Sheriff's Dept.
