Evelyn Frerichs

Evelyn Frerichs

ROYAL – Evelyn C. Frerichs, 86, of Royal passed away at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday (April 24, 2013) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 29, at St. John Lutheran Church, Royal, with the Rev. Jay Johnson officiating. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Royal. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, is in charge of arrangements.
Evelyn was born Feb. 14, 1927, in Urbana, the daughter of Heye L. and Bertha L. Busboom Albers. She married Harm W. Frerichs on March 10, 1945. He preceded her on Feb. 15, 1996.
She is survived by her children, Danny (Karlene) Frerichs and Mitchell (Debra) Frerichs, both of Royal, Ronald (Kathy) Frerichs of Ogden and Marc (Cindy) Frerichs of Royal; nine grandchildren, Kelly Lay, Ryan Frerichs, Troy, Brandon, Bryce Frerichs, Travis, Jenna Frerichs, Meridith Frerichs and Megan Walsh; and six great-grandchildren.
Evelyn was preceded by her parents; stepmother, Verla Albers; and twin brother, Elvin E. Albers.
Evelyn was a member of St. John Lutheran Church of Royal, where she was head of the Cradle roll at the church. Evelyn was a housewife and worked 25 years at Cap and Gown.
She was a Cubs and Illini fan. She was known as an excellent seamstress. Her biggest pleasure was spending time with family.
The family would like to thank the staffs of Country Health, Brookstone and Prairie Village for the care they provided Evelyn.
Memorials to the donor's choice.

Richard Goben

Richard Goben

PAXTON – Richard E. "Dick" Goben, age 87, of Paxton, formerly of St. Joseph and Gibson City, passed away at 8:26 a.m. Wednesday (April 24, 2013) at the Asta Care Center in Paxton.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27, 2013, at Lamb Funeral Home, Gibson City. Burial will take place in Drummer Township Cemetery with full military rites. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday before the service.
Richard was born June 14, 1925, in Bloomington, a son to Millard A. and Thelma (Chandler) Goben. He married Dorothy Beck on April 27, 1947, in Gibson City. She died on April 16, 1998.
Surviving are two sons, Rick (Marlene) Goben of Loda and Bill (Sandy) Goben of Paxton; three grandchildren, Rich Goben, Kris Adkins and Abby Weigel; and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by parents and brother.
Richard was a Navy veteran of World War II. He retired from the Illinois Central Railroad. Richard was a member of the American Legion, VFW, Illini Shrine Club of Champaign and St. Joseph Masonic Lodge, and was a Lutheran. He enjoyed camping, fishing and golf.
Memorials may be made to the Shriner's Children's Hospital.

Travis Fry

Travis Fry

CHAMPAIGN – Travis Fry, 41, born Jan. 8, 1972, passed away on March 22, 2013.
He is survived by his children, Kaylee, Christopher and Hunter; his grandmother, Carol Horner; his parents, Thomas Fry and Elizabeth (Mark) Ohman; and siblings, Brent Fry and Jamie Adams.
Friends may greet the family from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 26, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph. A memorial service will follow at 6:30 at the church.
Condolences may be offered at www.owensfuneralhomes.com.

Lillian Bradley

Lillian Bradley

DANVILLE – Lillian Bradley, age 94, of Danville, formerly of Ogden, passed away at 4:25 p.m. Monday (April 22, 2013) at Presence United Samaritans Medical Center, Danville.
Funeral services will be at noon Saturday, April 27, 2013, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, with the Rev. Frank Hoss officating. Burial will be in Stearns Cemetery, Fithian. Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at the funeral home.
Lillian was born May 3, 1918, at Waynesville, the daughter of the Rev. Roy A. and Amy Lundquist Miller Sr. She married Fred L. Bradley on Sept. 10, 1939, at New Brunswick, Ind. He preceded her in death on Nov. 22, 1993.
She is survived by her children, Richard (Laura Bartman) Bradley of Springfield, Karen (Paul) Kirkpatrick of Covington, Ind., Sandy (Sonny) Downing of Danville and Garry (Sharon) Bradley of Lemont; 14 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; three stepgreat-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Bertie Moore of Oakwood and June Osterbur of Royal; and two brothers-in-law, Russ Green of Ogden and Ralph Baxter of Quincy.
She was preceded by three brothers, four sisters and one great-granddaughter.
Lillian was a farm wife. She enjoyed gardening and sewing. She was active in her church, the Ogden Christian Church. Lillian was an avid Illini and St. Louis Cardinals fan.
Memorials may be made to the Hope Christian Church.

Wanda Cohoon

Wanda Cohoon

FARMER CITY – Wanda L. Cohoon, 88, of Bellflower, formerly of Farmer City, passed away at 3:55 p.m. Monday (April 22, 2013) at her daughter's home in Bellflower.
Graveside memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, April 26, at Greenleaf Cemetery, Farmer City. The Rev. Tony Crouch will officiate.
Memorial contributions may be made to Carle Hospice, 206A W. Anthony Drive, Champaign IL 61822 or the United Methodist Church of Farmer City.
Calvert-Belangee-Bruce Funeral Home, Farmer City, is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cohoon was born Feb. 24, 1925, in Champaign County, the daughter of John Wesley and Cecil Marlowe Fisher of St. Joseph. She married Lloyd E. "Bud" Cohoon Sr. on Sept. 13, 1947, in Chicago.
Survivors include five children, Paula (Mike) Gilbert of Mahomet, Rolan (Carolee Perring) Cohoon of Farmer City, Rebecca (Bob) Albin of Bellflower, Lloyd "Buddy" (Linda) Cohoon of Dewey and Michael (Theresa) Cohoon of Farmer City; 13 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, three brothers and one grandson.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church and a 56-year member of the Joe Williams American Legion Post 55 Auxiliary, Farmer City.
She was a recreation teacher at a State School in Lincoln and worked at J.M. Jones, Urbana, but most of her life she was a homemaker. She enjoyed sewing, cooking, canning, crossword and Sudoku puzzles. She enjoyed watching Illini Basketball.

Walter Robbins

Walter Robbins

CHAMPAIGN – Walter R. Robbins, 84, of Champaign, formerly of Ogden, passed away at 4:33 p.m. Sunday (April 21, 2013) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.
Mr. Robbins was born on June 21, 1928, in Danville to Harold E. Robbins and Mabel White Robbins. He had a younger sister, Mary Eilene (Robbins) Schmidt of Tuscon, Ariz.
He graduated from Ogden High School in 1946. He was an avid sports fan and participated, but not exactly academically. He married Phyllis Anderson on July 11, 1948.
They were blessed with three children, Cinda J. Robbins-Cornstubble (Morris), Keith E. Robbins (Rebecca) and Kent W. Robbins (Jill); and six grandchildren, Megan J. (Kirby) Reddy, Eric P. Kirby, Elaine Robbins Iliff, Elizabeth Robbins Salata, Scott K. Robbins and Michael R.D. Cornstubble. Also surviving are six great-granddaughters.
His life was centered around his family. Family holidays and celebrations were greatly enjoyed.
In 1962, he operated the first service station on Interstate 74 between Indianapolis and Peoria. Later in life, he worked as a sales representative for Riegel Motor and Truck Sales, as well as Prairie International. He retired from Prairie International in 1993. He enjoyed the Annual Prairie International Christmas parties.
He was honorably discharged from the Illinois National Guard.
He was on the school board for Ogden Grade School. He served on the Ogden Christian Church Board, was the Sunday School director and the ChiRho leader. He was a member of Lions Club. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Champaign. He enjoyed participating in the Men's Wednesday Morning Bible Study.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, with a Memorial Service at 10 a.m. Friday, at Freese Funeral Home in St. Joseph.
Memorial contributions can be made to SJO FFA.

Bertha Stein

Bertha Stein

ST. JOSEPH – Bertha Stein, 92, of St. Joseph passed away at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday (April 16, 2013) at Helia Healthcare of Champaign.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday, April 19, at Kopmann Cemetery, Royal. Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, is in charge of arrangements.
Bertha was born Nov. 13, 1920, in St. Joseph, the daughter of Martin and Abbie Post Stein.
She is survived by one sister, Mary Westenhaver of Champaign.
She was preceded by four brothers and two sisters.
Bertha was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Royal.

Wanda Jamison

Wanda Jamison

OGDEN – Wanda Jamison, 84, of Ogden passed away at 4:55 a.m. Wednesday (April 17, 2013) at Champaign-Urbana Regional Rehab of Savoy.
Private graveside services will be held. Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, is in charge of arrangements.
Wanda was born May 12, 1928, in St. Joseph Township, the daughter of Aubrey Orville and Letha W. Davis Viles. She married J.D. Jamison on Dec. 24, 1946. He preceded her in death on Dec. 9, 1987.
She is survived by four children, Julia (Gene) Woller of St. Joseph, James (Connie) Jamison of Ogden, Stephen (Rosemarie) Jamison of St. Joseph and Sheri (David) Fisher of St. Joseph; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Wanda retired from the University of Illinois on May 1, 1992. She also worked for W. Lewis & Co.

Warren Falk

Warren Falk

URBANA – Maj. Warren P. Falk (Ret.), 90, of Urbana died at 12:50 p.m. Tuesday (April 16, 2013) at home, surrounded by the love of his family.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, April 22, at Mount Olive Cemetery, Mayview. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at Renner-Wikoff Chapel and Crematory, Urbana. Military rites will be conducted by the American Legion Post 71, Urbana.
Mr. Falk was born on Nov. 9, 1922, in Holdrege, Neb., the son of Axel Elof and Mildred Hildegarde Abrahamson Falk. He married Betty A. James on Oct. 12, 1946, in Biloxi, Miss.; she died on June 13, 1987.
Survivors include two daughters, Diana Pinkston of St. Joseph and Lynn (Mike) Armstrong of Urbana; two sons, Dennis (Jackie Buckingham) Falk of Champaign and Larry (Evelyn) Falk of Xenia, Ohio; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.
He was preceded in death by two brothers and three sisters.
Mr. Falk was a U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II. He was a flight instructor during the war and loved flying the P-40s and P-51s.
In the early to mid-1950s, he was stationed in England flying jets in reconnaissance missions. He retired from the Air Force as a major after serving 20 years.
He also retired as the services operation manager at Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).
Mr. Falk had a cabin in the Colorado mountains that he built and maintained. He loved spending time there trout fishing and enjoying the outdoors.
He loved entertaining and being surrounded by friends and family. He never seemed to run out of stories to tell and always had a smile on his face.
Mr. Falk was a member of The Retired Officers Association, AREA, AAFES and the VFW.
He loved to build model airplanes. He loved his cabin and never had a complaint.
Memorial contributions may be made to Carle Hospice or the Chanute Air Museum.
Condolences may be offered at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com.
BICYCLE!

Walter Quendnau

Walter Quednau

ST. JOSEPH – Walter Carl Quednau, 95, of St. Joseph died at 11:40 a.m. Monday, March 25, 2013, at Canterbury Ridge, Urbana.
Memorial services will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 802 E. Douglas St., St. Joseph. The Rev. Seth Jersild will officiate.
Renner-Wikoff Chapel and Crematory, Urbana, is in charge of arrangements.

Lavonne Craig

LaVonne Craig

ST. JOSEPH – LaVonne Craig, 88, of Urbana, formerly of St. Joseph, passed away at 5:25 p.m. Monday (April 15, 2013) at the Champaign County Nursing Home, Urbana.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at Mount Olive Cemetery, Mayview.
She was born Sept. 23, 1924, in Saybrook, the daughter of Lee and Bertha Rahn Weaver. She married James I. Craig on Dec. 9, 1944, in Urbana. He preceded her in death on Oct. 6, 2004.
Survivors include one son, Denny Craig of St. Joseph; three daughters, Nan Craig of Avondale, Ariz., Nancy Mennenga of Chandler, Ariz., and Beth Nelson of Philo; eight grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter and five brothers.
She enjoyed spending time visiting with family and friends.
She had formerly worked in St. Joseph at the Dairy Lane and the St. Joseph Restaurant.

Vera Burgin

Vera Burgin

URBANA – Vera Burgin, 75, of Urbana went to be with the Lord at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2013, at home. She was surrounded by her family who loved her deeply as she loved them. She will be greatly missed.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, April 15, at Renner-Wikoff Chapel and Crematory, Urbana. The Rev. Jud Travis will officiate. Burial will be in Grandview Memorial Gardens, Champaign. Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Vera was born on May 18, 1937, in Elm River Township, a daughter of Jacob Henry and Ina Vivian Allison Fitch. She married William Burgin on Sept. 8, 1955. He survives.
Also surviving are her children, Rodger Burgin, Debra Wingler and Cynthia (Kevin) Donoho; one brother, Darrell (Carla) Fitch; one sister, Lavina (George) Ray; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Constance J. Burgin; one grandson, Ronald E. Wingler Jr.; and five brothers, Warren, Gene, Leland, James and Gerald.
Vera was a member of Faith Missionary Baptist Church, St. Joseph.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family requests memorial donations be made to Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 407 S. Main St., St. Joseph, IL 61873.
Condolences may be offered at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com.

Vera Sands

Vera Sands

CHAMPAIGN – Vera Madonna Sands passed away peacefully Wednesday (April 3, 2013) at Carle Foundation Hospital in the company of her children and a close friend.
Funeral services for Vera Sands will be at 1 p.m. Monday, April 8, at the First United Methodist Church, Urbana. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Renner-Wikoff Chapel & Crematory, 1900 S. Philo Road, Urbana. Burial will take place at the G.A.R. Cemetery in Homer.
Vera was born Dec. 9, 1917, on a farm in Xenia Township, Clay County, to Hoda Smith and Maude L. Ehlers Smith.
She completed three years of high school available in Xenia, graduating from Flora high school. She later received a diploma from Lake View College of Commerce in Alton.
She married Andrew Monroe Sands of Salem in 1941. They had two children, Carolyn M. Sands and Phillip M. Sands, both of Champaign. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Andrew Monroe Sands; and her brother, William Harry Smith.
After the war, the family moved to Urbana from southern Illinois. Vera worked part-time as a secretary at the University of Illinois for a number of years. After her son was in school, she worked full-time at the University for another 27 years until her retirement. She always had great love and respect for the UI and attended many musical events and games.
Vera loved music and was an excellent pianist. As a young woman she earned money during the Depression by giving music lessons, playing for ballet lessons, weddings and funerals. She also played the clarinet in local bands and orchestras. In her later years she enjoyed playing weekly for the sing-a-long at Hayes Center before the weekly senior potluck.
Vera enjoyed participating in the Methodist Women's Groups both in Urbana and in Homer. She was also active in the Homer Historical Society and in the Homemakers Extension's Association. She enjoyed life and always kept active with her family and many friends.
She liked to go and traveled as much as she could: family car trips, many bus trips after her husband died, and a memorable trip to Europe with her daughter, Carolyn. She took notes when she traveled, which make for interesting reading.
Most importantly, she was a loving wife and mother who loved and cared for her family and for others.
Vera was good, kind, wonderful and funny. Family was her center and she was theirs. She always did what she could to support her husband, children, grandchildren and those with whom she came in contact. In addition to Carolyn and Phillip, she had two grandsons, Chad Sands (Christi) of LeRoy (great granddaughters Megan and Gracie) and Travis Sands (Julie) of Seattle, Wash., (great grandson Phoenix and great granddaughter Anya). Her love, humor, and unfailing acceptance and support will be missed by us all.
Condolences may be offered at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com.

David Prather

David Prather

St. Joseph – David Prather, 59, of St. Joseph passed away at 5:50 p.m. Thursday (April 4, 2013) at home.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, April 8, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, with the Rev. Jeff Graham officiating. Burial will be in Mount Olive Cemetery, Mayview. Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Dave was born Sept. 21, 1953, in Champaign, the son of Charles R. and Mary Ann Offenstein Prather. He married Deborah Parrish at Gifford. She survives.
He is also survived by his children, daughter, Kristen Prather of Urbana, and son, Erik Prather of Chicago; two brothers, Richard (Karen) Prather of Geneva, Ill., and Charles B. (Sue) Prather of St. Joseph; and one sister, Lyndia (Jeff) Graham of Island, Ky.
He was preceded by his parents.
Dave was a member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. He worked many years with his parents at St. Joseph Oil Company. He also worked at the University of Illinois. He graduated from Illinois State University.
Memorials may be made to the SJO Spartan Fan Club.

Amos Motsinger Jr.

Amos Motsinger Jr.

ST. JOSEPH – Amos Matthew Motsinger Jr., 78, of St. Joseph passed away at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday (April 3, 2013) at Country Health Nursing Home, Gifford.
Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 6, at Mount Olive Cemetery, Mayview. There will be no visitation. Freese Funeral Home, St. Joseph, is assisting with arrangements.
Mr. Motsinger was born Sept 26, 1934, in St. Joseph Township, a son to Amos Sr. and Cretta Motsinger. He married Elizabeth (Liz) Hill on Dec 20, 1953. She preceded him in death on June 18, 2001. Together they had three children, Amos III (Bud) (Trudy) Motsinger, Melia (Steve) Kingery and Dennis Motsinger. They survive. Also surviving are two step-grandsons and two great-grandchildren and a brother, Larry Motsinger. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother and sister.
He was a well-known mechanic in this area. He retired from the City of Urbana.
He was dedicated to his community and served as village trustee for many years. He was also a volunteer fireman and later was a trustee.
H e loved to camp and fish and go to auctions and work on antique clocks.
His garage was always open for his friends to tell stories and visit old friends. He will be greatly missed.

John Arthur Duitsman

John Duitsman

FLATVILLE – John Arthur Duitsman, 88, of Flatville passed away on Monday (April 1, 2013) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.
There will be a visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. today (Wednesday) in Dier's Hall at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Flatville. The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 4, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with Pastor James Lehmann officiating.
John was born March 2, 1925, to Gerd and Grace Duitsman (nee Bergman) at the family farm, which was recognized as a Centennial Farm in 1988. He continued farming his grandparents' farm for most of his life.
John married Anna Maria Ackerman on Oct. 6, 1945.
Surviving are his wife, Anna, their three sons, Vaughn (Nadezhda), Marc and Brian, and two daughters, Deborah and Joanne.
Also surviving are eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his sisters Annetta, Norma, Emma and Bernice, and his granddaughter Erin Ann Brooks (Mann).
He was a lifelong member of the Flatville Lutheran Church and active in the choir for many years.
He served on the Rantoul High School Board for 20 years, sold seedcorn for Pioneer, and was also a member of the Gifford Lions Club.
John enjoyed woodworking, golfing and was a Cubs fan. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.