Mark Aldrich Warwick

 HOMER — Mark Aldrich Warwick, 75, of Homer passed away at 5:10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. Mark’s peaceful passing was attended by family members, including his grandchildren, children, spouse, niece, brother and friends of the family.

Mark was born in Keokuk, Iowa, on Nov. 1, 1950, to the late Charles and Betty Warwick of Urbana.

Mark is survived by three siblings, Joyce Warwick of Fairfield, Iowa, Dr. Susan Warwick Fisher of Delaware, Ohio, and Charlie Warwick of Champaign.

Mark lived most of his life in the Champaign-Urbana area. A 1968 graduate of Urbana High School, he attended Parkland Community College and subsequently began a long career of 40-plus years as a mental-health professional, first at the Adolph Meyer Zone Center in Decatur, followed by employment at Adler Zone Center in Champaign. His final place of employment was at the Developmental Services Center in Champaign, where he taught job skills to developmentally challenged adults.

Mark was a poised and compassionate mentor to his charges, sensitive to their learning styles and abilities. He had an infamous sense of humor and was not above wearing a clown nose to work and other social gatherings to help keep the atmosphere light and upbeat, if not a bit irreverent.

In junior high school, Mark played football as a fullback on offense and a lineman on defense. But his love of football ultimately gave way to his true lifelong passion for playing guitar. Mark helped form a local rock ‘n’ roll group called “The Varmits” in 1964 and ‘65. That group morphed into the “Finchley Boys” in the following year. Mark was the group’s first lead guitarist, and they developed a large following not only in Champaign-Urbana but ultimately throughout downstate Illinois and the Chicago area.

Mark married the late Victoria R. Fash of Carmel, Calif., in 1969. They have a daughter, Quaker Warwick of Homer. Quaker’s children are Abby Clark of Delaware, Ohio, who with her partner, Will Adamchak, have three daughters, Brianna (15), Madelyn (11) and Aria (10); a second daughter, Carol Clark, also lives in Delaware, Ohio. Quaker’s third daughter is Ruby Phelps of Thorntown, Ind. She and her husband, Michael Phelps, have a daughter, Addison (4).

Mark’s second wife is Jan Caffrey of Urbana. She and Mark have two children, Aryn Makenna of Urbana and Sean Warwick of Sunnyvale, Calif. Aryn and husband Mike Giberson have a son, Taegan Giberson (18) of Urbana. Aryn also has a daughter, Kelsey Hamilton (25) of Urbana. Sean Warwick is married to Hao Zhang.

Mark had a quiet, spiritual side. He learned transcendental meditation in 1971 and continued to practice it for the rest of his life. He inspired both his children and grandchildren to take up the practice.

The family plans on holding a private memorial service for Mark in the near future. If friends and colleagues wish to gather to celebrate Mark’s life, his daughter Quaker will host a gathering at Mark’s home in Homer. She can be contacted at quakerwarwick@gmail.com.

Mark’s family kindly requests, in lieu of flowers, that well-wishers send donations to the Urbana High School Music and Drama Department.

NG 12/5/2025

Roberta Robbins Bleichner

 Mrs. Roberta Robbins Bleichner passed away on Nov 27th 2025. "Berta", was born on July 26th 1942 in Sidney to Robert and Hazel Wilsey Heath Robbins who preceded her in death. She was a 1960 Graduate of Unity High School, and on Dec. 26th 1961 She married the late Paul Bleichner of Tolono. She was the mother of three, Marcella (Jim) Moon of Janera, Ohio, Chris Bleichner of Wapakoneta, Ohio, and William Bleichner of Tolono.                                                                            

  In 1966, the family moved to Lima Ohio and she remained in Ohio until 2012, returning to Illinois upon retirement at the age of 70. She was a lifelong seamstress, tailoring and altering clothing and uniforms. She also made many Wedding Gowns and Prom dresses. Roberta had many jobs over the years, sometimes two or three at a time. She was a church secretary at Calvary United Church of Christ in Lima for several years and also worked at The Piece Goods fabric store and Master Maintenance for many years. She then moved to Findlay and worked at Red Lobster for 12 years. Upon returning to Tolono, she spent her time volunteering at the Tolono food pantry, The Giving Place, the Downtown Garden Club, The Tolono Historical Society and cooked and served meals for funeral services in Tolono.  She was also a member of the Stitch & Sew quilting club in Tolono.

                   She was a woman of strong faith and was a member of the Tolono Methodist Church, where she had a strong bond with her Church family and friends.

                    Roberta is also survived by seven Grandchildren, Mathew (Mandy) Miller and Scot (Kylee) Miller of Spencerville Ohio, Michele (Conner) Fewell of Westerville Ohio Tiffany (Josh) Black of Urbana, Bradley (Allisha) Bergman, and Brent (Heather) Bergman of Botkins Ohio and Leslie (Matt) Sawmiller of Findlay Ohio, as well as 20 Great Grandchildren, whom she greatly cherished, and many nieces and nephews.

                     She was also preceded in death by four sisters, Maxine (Harold) Ruhe, Dorothy (John) Burr, Marjorie (Art) Peters, and Mildred (Bill) Davis, as well as two brothers, Lyle Robbins and Ben (Doris) Heath.

                     A Memorial service will be held at Freese funeral home in Tolono on Saturday Dec. 13th at 1pm, with a 2 hour visitation prior to the service.

Freese FH 12/4/2025

Dixie Frieden

 Dixie Frieden 91, of Champaign formerly of St. Joseph passed away at 6:35 P.M. Tuesday December 2, 2025 at her home.

 Dixie was born December 11, 1933 in Altamont. The daughter of Leo and Lillian (Smith) Logue. She married Henry Frieden on April 12, 1953 in St. Joseph. He preceded her on February 18, 2007.

 She is survived by her children; Pete Frieden of Champaign, Kathy (Dennis) Bott of Ogden, Lori (Gary) Duitsman of Ogden, Paul Frieden of Champaign. 9 grandchildren; Ashley Tennill, Kelsey Gilbert, Jesse Frieden, Lacy Frieden, Rebecca Bott, Michael Bott, Amie Byers, Rad Duitsman, Shelby Frizzo. 7 great-grandchildren.

 She was preceded in death by her parents, 1 brother, and 1 great-granddaughter.

 Dixie was a member of the Vermilion Heights Christian Church, Danville.

 She enjoyed puzzles, going out, cooking and her cats.

 Mermorials may be made to Vermilion Heights Christian Church 725 Oakwood Ave. Danville, IL 61832.

 Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Sunday December 7, 2025 at Freese Funeral Home 302 E. Grand Ave. St. Joseph. Pastor Rod Godley will officiate. Burial will be in Stearns Cemetery, Fithian. Visitation will be Sunday from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.

Freese FH 12/4/2025

Darlene J. Aguirre

 

Darlene J. Aguirre, 87, of Indianapolis, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Born in Champaign, Illinois, to Jean and Wilma (Kirkpatrick) Jeanes, Darlene lived a life marked by compassion, dedication, and quiet strength.

A proud graduate of Southern Illinois University, Darlene earned her associate’s degree in business administration and went on to serve the Indianapolis community through her work at Eli Lilly for 13 years and later at Broadway United Methodist Church, where she retired after 26 years of faithful service. Her commitment to helping others extended beyond borders—during her time with Project Hope in Ecuador, she met her future husband, Eduardo I. Aguirre, and together they built a life filled with love and family as they raised their sons, Michael and John.

Darlene was a caring mother and grandmother, who found joy in supporting her granddaughters in all their endeavors. She was a loyal friend, a treasured colleague, and a vibrant spirit who found delight in traveling, line dancing, and curling up with a good book. Her warmth and wisdom were felt by those around her, especially through her decades-long membership at Broadway United Methodist Church and her continued service with Lauck & Veldhof Funeral Home during retirement.

She is survived by her son, E. Michael (Terra) Aguirre; granddaughters, Courtney (Tom) Cullen and Sydney Aguirre; and her beloved cat, Sammy. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eduardo Aguirre; her son, John D. Aguirre; and her companion of eight years, Rev. Frank Sablon.

A celebration of Darlene’s life will be held on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E. 29th St., Indianapolis, with Rev. Aaron Hobbs and Dr. Rachel Metheny officiating. Visitation will take place from 12 to 2 p.m. prior to the service. A reception at the church will follow services. Burial will be private at Mount Olive Cemetery in Mayview, Illinois.

Memorial contributions may be made to Broadway United Methodist Church or Parents of Addicted Loved Ones. Envelopes will be available at the church.

To send flowers or share condolences, please visit www.LauckFuneralHome.com.

https://www.lauckfuneralhome.com/obituary/Darlene-Aguirre

Douglas Brown

 Douglas Brown, 79 of Mahomet, formerly of Sidney, passed away at 4:48 PM, Sunday, November 16, 2025 at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

There are no services.  Freese Funeral Home, Sidney is assisting with arrangements.

Doug was born March 8, 1946 in Urbana, a son to Oggie and Helen Sanford Brown.  He married Lori Bucher on July 25, 1997 in Sidney, she survives.

Also surviving are children; Myndi Brown of Northbrook, Brad Brown of Mechanicsburg, Sarah Crabtree of Fort Leavenworth, KS and Ryan Bucher of Portland, OR, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.

Doug was employed for 43 years for Illinois Power, then Ameren as a lineman.  He enjoyed camping, fishing, games, chocolate, and his dog Max.  He loved spending time with family and friends and was the love of Lori’s life.

https://www.freesefh.com/obituary/Douglas-Brown

Charles Richard Hugh Smith

 Charles Richard Hugh Smith (known to most as Rick), age 60, of St. Joseph, IL. passed away at 8:39 A.M. Friday November 14, 2025 at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL.

 Rick was born October 19, 1965 in Quincy, IL. The son of Glenn and Barbara (Shinall) Smith. He married  Susie (Manley) Florey, who he always said "was the love of his life", on October 17, 2015 in Homer. She survives.  

 He is also survived by his father Glenn (Brenda) Smith who loving raised him and his Step-father Bill Cawthon. He leaves behind his children Stephanie Smith, Cortney (Jake) Thacker, Glenn (Margaret) Smith, Jesse (Stephanie) Smith, Kaleb Smith. Step-Bonus daughters Delaine (Matt) Wagner, Carson (David Yan) Florey.  He was a loving "Pe Paw" to 10 grandchildren and Uncle to many nieces and nephews. Siblings Troy Smith, Amanda Sherwin, Olivia Lisenbee, Kim Huddleston, Mike Cawthon. Step-siblings Bill Cawthon, Gary Cawthon.

 Rick's mother Barbara passed one day after him. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, and a granddaughter.

 Rick started as a semi driver and then became the Fleet Safety Coordinator for C.H.I. Overhead Doors in Arthur.    He was a U.S. Army veteran.

Rick had a quick wit and ornery sense of humor.  He will be remembered for his warm heart, easy smile and the joy he found in life's simple moments like listening to music while putting together jigsaw puzzles with Susie, traveling (especially their "Quarter Flip Trips") and relaxing at home watching tv & movies with Susie and their beloved furkids.  He also enjoyed riding bicycles and unicycles, drawing & doodling, was fluent in sign language and especially enjoyed cheering on the Illinois Fighting Illini Men's Basketball teams.

 Memorials may be made to the St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Protection District or the Coles County Animal Shelter.

 Funeral services will be held at 12:30 P.M. Saturday November 22, 2025 at Freese Funeral Home 302 E. Grand Ave. St. Joseph. Brad Edwards will officiate. Burial will be in Patterson Cemetery, St. Joseph. Visitation will be Saturday from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.

https://www.freesefh.com/obituary/Rick-Smith

Robert Pflugmacher

Robert was born June 11, 1937, the first child of Hans and Lena Pflugmacher. He married Dorene Sjoken on January 11, 1959, in Gifford. Robert and Dorene have three children: Michael (Lori), Jon Allen (deceased), and Vonda (Todd) Jenkins, along with seven grandchildren: Shanan (Carlos) Meza, Janna (Steven Russell) Pflugmacher, Brandan (De’Monique Brown) Pflugmacher, Savanna (Aveek Kapat) Pflugmacher, Nathan (Grace Stalter) Pflugmacher, Alyson (Micky) Mann, and Taylor (Blake) Bertolino, and seven great grandchildren.

Robert was a farmer most of his life in the Royal/Penfield/Gifford area. He and Dorene worked side by side and you rarely saw one without the other. Upon retirement, he worked for a time at Farm and Fleet. Because he could build and fix anything, he especially enjoyed helping customers get the right tools and supplies for their projects. He was always willing to lend a hand to his friends and neighbors. 

Robert and Dorene were in a card club for years. While Robert was not a fan of losing a card game, they still loved the club and the lifelong friendships that it created. 

Robert was also active at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Royal, serving as the custodian for several years as well as a member of the church council. 

Robert was preceded in death by his parents, a son, and his brother, Edward.

 Memorials may be made to St. John Lutheran Church or Kopmann Cemetery.

 Funeral services will be a 2:00 P.M. Monday November 17, 2025 at St. John Lutheran Church, Royal. Pastor Emil Blobaum will officiate. Burial will be in Kopmann Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M..

https://www.freesefh.com/notices/Robert-Pflugmacher