Cheryl Lynn Sturts

RANTOUL — Cheryl Lynn Sturts, 65 of Rantoul died in her home on Thursday (Sept. 26, 2019). A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 1614 Fairway Dr., Rantoul.

Cheryl was born in Urbana, the daughter of Frederick Wayne and Doris (McCleary) Sturts.

She is survived by brothers, Rick Sturts of Rantoul and Mike Sturts (Georgeann) of Carbon Cliff; sisters, Patty Bloomer of Rantoul and Ann Suits (Darrell) of Rantoul; and several nieces and nephews.

Cheryl spent many hours volunteering at Hope Meadows, Rantoul, doing landscaping, gardening and working with the children as an adoptive grandparent.

Condolences may be offered at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com.
CU News-Gazette 9/29/2019

Barbara "Barb" Diane Esworthy

OGDEN — Barbara "Barb" Diane Esworthy, 77, of Ogden passed away at 2:36 a.m. Friday (Sept. 27, 2019) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph. Pastor Kathy Murphy will officiate. Burial will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery, Mayview. Visitation will be held on Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mrs. Esworthy was born Dec. 22, 1941, at Urbana. The daughter of Anna Dennis and Robert Butler Sr. of Pesotum. She married Jim Esworthy on Oct. 15, 1971, at the Ogden Methodist Church. He survives. She was a beloved wife, Mother, Grandmother and Aunt.

She is also survived by her daughter, Julie (Steve) La Tour of Duluth, Minn.; and two grandchildren, Taylor and Marisa; brother, Donald (Sheila) Butler of Savoy; and three nieces and four nephews.

She was preceded in death by two daughters, Jennifer and Jackie; parents, Anna and Robert Butler Sr.; brothers, Richard and Robert Butler; and nephew, Andrew Butler.

Barbara enjoyed flower and herb gardening and the University of Illinois sports. She worked at the University for over 30 years. She was a member of the Champaign County Farm Bureau Women, the CU Herb Society and Friends of the Ogden Library. She was an honorary member of the Illinois 4-H  House Association.

She will be missed by all her family and friends for her kind and gentle spirit, her willingness to help anyone in need and her ability to never know a stranger.

Memorials may be made to the Ogden United Methodist Church or Journy, an organization set up to help provide police departments with patrol car cameras.

CU News-Gazette 9/29/2019

Judith Hacker

ST. JOSEPH — Judith Hacker, 79, of St. Joseph passed away at 10:09 a.m. Sunday (Sept. 15, 2019) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph. David Barcus will officiate. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Urbana. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Judy was born on Oct. 7, 1939, in Chicago, the daughter of Preston and Catherine (VanNess) Pierce. She married Jim Hacker on March 19, 1961. He survives.

Also surviving are a daughter, Brenda (Chris) Collenberger of St. Joseph, and a son, Brett Hacker of Urbana; three grandchildren, Ashley Bigelow, Brittany (Adam) Friese and Kara Hacker; four greatgrandchildren, Addy and Brylee Friese and Avery and Charlee Bigelow; and three sisters, Barbara (Jack) Arford

of Minnesota and Betty Kinney and Sonna Carley, both of Potomac.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Mary Downing; and a son.

Judy enjoyed going out to eat with her Ya Ya sisters and spending time with her family.

NG 9/17/2019

Douglas O. Baird

GIBSON CITY — Douglas O. Baird, 66, of Gibson City passed away peacefully Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at home surrounded by friends and family.

A celebration of life service will be at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, at Gibson City Bible Church with Pastor Paul Thomason officiating. Family will receive friends following the service.

Doug was born June 19, 1953, in Champaign, a son of James O. and Kathryn Colbert Baird. He was a farmer, most recently with the Reum Brothers of Gibson City. Over his lifetime, he worked cattle, hogs, chickens, corn, soybeans and hay in Illinois and South Carolina.

Doug attended the schools in St. Joseph until moving south during his junior year. In high school, he was a member of the FFA and 4-H for many years. He graduated from Berry College in Rome, Ga., with an associate degree in animal science.

He was a very caring man who never met a stranger. He enjoyed visiting his many friends, neighbors and family and brought many goodies, including home-grown vegetables, Christmas candy and pumpkins for Halloween. Doug was known for his Chex party

mix and the “Salon Dad” at The Main Attraction. He was thoughtful and dedicated in everything he did, and you knew he was a person you could always depend on.

Surviving Doug are his mother, Kathryn Colbert Baird of Charleston, S.C.; two daughters, Amber Horne (Ben) of Hardeeville, S.C., and Ashley Horne (Jarrod) of Brisbane, Australia; siblings, Stan (Shana) Baird of Wadmalaw Island, S.C., Chuck (Judith) Baird of Amelia, Va., and Karen (Bobby) Carter of Charleston, S.C.; six nieces and nephews, Chassity, James, Jason, Lora, Brock and Kari; and 12 great-nieces and greatnephews.

He was preceded in death by his father; sister, Norma Sue Baird; and sister- in-law, Polly H. Baird.

In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made to the Future Farmers of America at the Gibson City High School. Online condolences and memories may be made at rosenbaumfh. com.

Anetta "Nettie" Osterbur Henry

ST. JOSEPH — Anetta “Nettie” Henry, 87, of St. Joseph passed away at 11:25 a.m. Wednesday (Sept. 11, 2019) at OSF Healthcare Heart of Mary Medical Center, Urbana.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, St. Joseph. Pastor Andrew Jones will officiate. 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.

Nettie was born June 15, 1932, at Royal, the daughter of Lubbe and Helene Hurling Osterbur. She married Bradley F. Henry on June 21, 1951, in Royal. He preceded her in death on May 30, 2004.

She is survived by her daughters, Rhonda (Jansen) Powell of Savoy and Rita (Cliff) Black of Pleasant Prairie, Wis.; four grandchildren, Eric (Amanda) Powell, Keri (Andrew Tunstall) Powell, Melissa Black and Amy (J.R.) Ross; six greatgrandchildren; brother, Ernest Osterbur of Royal; and sister, Emilie Steffey of Rantoul.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Leona Martin; and a brother, John Osterbur.

Nettie was a charter member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, St. Joseph. She was an organist at the church for more than 25 years.

She worked at the University of Illinois Stock Pavilion, retiring after 25 years.

Nettie loved to cook and wrote two Heart Healthy cookbooks. She was a loving mother, wife and grandmother.

Memorials may be made to OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center, American Heart Assocation or Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.

News-Gazette 9/13/2019

Shirley Lou Taylor

HOMER — Shirley Lou Taylor, 90, of Homer passed away at 5 a.m. Tuesday (Sept. 3, 2019) at Clark-Lindsey in Urbana.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at Kirby Funeral Home, 708 S. Main St., Homer. Pastor John Sharp will officiate. Burial will take place in G.A.R. Cemetery, Homer. There will be a visitation from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home.

Shirley was born Dec. 6, 1928, in Homer, a daughter of Martin and Wilma Bassford Messman. She married Max Taylor on July 1, 1946, in Sidney. He passed away Dec. 2, 1992.

Survivors include her daughter, Luann (William) Nanneman of Moberly, Mo.; daughter-in-law, Becky Taylor of Sidney; grandchildren, Daniel (Jessica Keller) Taylor, Lainie (Nick) Giovanini, Sally Taylor and Elizabeth (Sadeeq) Nanneman-Holmes; greatgrandchildren, Meghan Taylor, Dominic Giovanini and Lia Giovanini; sisters, Mary Ellen (Tony) Bosch of Longview and Kathryn Vergara of Oregon; and brother, Joe Quaglini of Massachusetts.

She was also preceded in death by her son, Tim Taylor; and siblings, Marion Vandersnick, Betty Pratt and Peggy Messman.

Shirley was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Broadlands. She worked at Homer Bank for many years. She was a cosmetologist and hairdresser. Her hobbies included reading, painting and cooking. Shirley enjoyed being a farm wife and spending time with her family.

Memorials can be made to Homer Fire and Rescue or Immanuel Lutheran Church.

CU News-Gazette 9/5/2019

George "Earl" Bennett

SIDNEY — On Wednesday (Aug. 28, 2019), George “Earl” Bennett passed away at home. He was 59 years old.

Earl was born Dec. 26, 1959, in Tillar, Ark., to George Washington and Viola Bennett. At the age of 4, he was adopted by his cousins, George and Lorene. In the fall of 1979, Earl attended Mid-South Christian College where he met his wife, Alana. They were married a year later and would have celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary on Aug. 30. They raised four children: Brett (Linda), Trent, Grant (Tanner), and Paige (Tim).

Earl and Alana moved from Dewitt, Ark., to Sidney in 1987. Earl worked at a hardware store and joined the Sidney Fire Department. In 1990, Earl began to work full time for the village of Sidney. In 2009, Earl became the fire chief for Sidney Fire Department and was well-known around the county for his Southern “twang” on the radio and his warm smile when he saw a familiar face on a scene.

Earl’s legacy is one of quiet service to others. He was never one to brag or seek attention for the work that he did. He would respond to fire department or village maintenance calls at any hour of the day or night, sacrificing personal or family time to serve those in need. He was a member of Sidney Christian Church and often was the unofficial caterer for whoever needed it. He wore many hats — over the years, he served his friends, family and community as a coach, referee, mechanic, carpenter, chef and all-around handyman and was instrumental in the Sidney Fun Daze.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Alana; his four children, Brett, Trent, Grant and Paige; his granddaughters; his brother, David Bennett of Stuttgart, Ark.; sisters, Nancy Jasie of Hot Springs, Ark., Brenda (Scott) Meins of Almyra, Ark., and Karen (Ricky) Willams of DeWitt, Ark.; and multiple nieces, nephews and cousins.

Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, at Freese Funeral Home in Sidney. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Sidney Christian Church, 305 E. Main St., and Earl will be buried at Mount Hope Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Sidney Firefighters Association (P.O. Box 380, Sidney IL 61877) or Sidney Christian Church.
CU News-Gazette 9/2/2019

Robert C. Malohn

ST. JOSEPH — Robert C. Malohn, 88, of St. Joseph passed away at 11:14 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 29, 2019) at his home.

Funeral servcies will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, with David Barcus officiating. Burial will be in Mount Olive Cemetery, Mayview. Visitation will be from 10  to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Robert was born Sept. 19, 1930, in Sidell, the son of Harry and Hazel (Torbit) Malohn. He married Betty June O'Bryan on June 21, 1950, in Sidney. She survives.

He is also survived by his daughters, Rita (Donald) McCannon of St. Joseph and Gail Malohn of St. Joseph; grandsons, Bryan (Kim) McCannon of Pennsylvania and Todd (Meghan) McCannon of St. Joseph; great-grandson, Henry McCannon; two step-great-grandsons, Landon Michelson and Trevor (Emily) Michelson; and three sisters, Yvedda Hempler of Venice, Fla., Karen Bialeschki of Sidney and Monna Deal of Florida.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Robert farmed in the St. Joseph and Vermilion County area with his father-in-law.

He enjoyed traveling to Florida, camping, boating and woodworking when he retired.

Memorials may be made to the St. Joseph-Stanton Volunteer Fire Department.

CU News-Gazette 9/2/2019

Delores Maddock Behrens

TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. — Delores Maddock Behrens, 84, formerly of St. Joseph, Champaign and Mahomet, passed away Saturday (Aug. 31, 2019) at Mari de Villa in Town and Country, Mo.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Royal, immediately after the funeral.

Delores was born Jan. 8, 1935, on the family farm in St. Joseph, the daughter of Earl Chester and Arvilla Wintress Leigh Maddock. She attended St. Joseph Township Grade School and graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1953. She married Robert Harm Behrens on May 2, 1954; he passed away Sept. 21, 1998.

Survivors include her daughter, Patricia (Michael) Szymkowicz; son, Roger Behrens; grandchildren, Joseph (Meghan) Szymkowicz, Lindsay (Jason) Lang and Matthew Szymkowicz; great-grandchildren, Evelyn Szymkowicz and Wolf Lang; along with many dear nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by an infant son, Mark Robert; an infant daughter, Laura Lynn; brothers, Orville Leigh Maddock and Robert Earl Maddock; and sisters, Eleanor Belle Maddock Craig and Alene Maddock Landreth.

​Delores was a gifted lifelong artist who painted into her 70s. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Over the years, she was a roll model for her children, volunteering for

her church, Meals on Wheels, The March of Dimes and various community charities. She and Robert wintered in Casey Key, Fla., for over 30 years and enjoyed hosting many family and friends. In retirement, they traveled the United States and Europe extensively.

The family thanks the staff at Mari de Villa and the staff at St. Luke’s Hospice. The family asks that tributes to Delores’ life be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Missouri or St. Luke’s Hospice Faith Fund.

CU News-Gazette 9/2/2019