Earl F. Ideus

 GIFFORD — Earl F. Ideus, 87, of Gifford went to be with his Lord and savior at 9:25a.m. Wednesday (June 23, 2021) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Funeral services will be at 3p.m. Saturday, June 26, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Gifford, with Pastor Scott Guhl officiating. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m. prior to the service at the church. Burial will follow in Kopmann Cemetery. Baier Family Funeral Services, Flatville, is handling the arrangements.

Earl was born on the family farm in Flatville on Aug. 6, 1933, to Fred and Gesina (Buhs) Ideus. He married Delores Sjuts at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Flatville on Feb. 19, 1956. He was a loving husband and devoted caregiver to Delores over the many years she suffered from Parkinson’s disease. She preceded him in death on Aug. 8, 2010.

He was also preceded in death by his parents and brother, Alfred Ideus.

He is survived and will be missed by his son, Royce (Shauna) Ideus of Gifford; daughter, Karen (Kevin) Uden of Mahomet; grandchildren, Tyler (LeAnne) Uden of Monticello, Chasity (Daniel) Thompson of St. Joseph, Brock (Addlea) Ideus of Flatville and Chelsea (Branden) Veach of Oakland; and six great-grandchildren, Carson, Cutler and Colton Uden of Monticello and Kendall, Asher and Farrah Thompson of St. Joseph.

He is also survived by his beloved and devoted sister, Gladys Freed of Champaign; brotherin- law and sister-in-law Don and Norma Sherfey of Royal; and sister-inlaw Evelyn Sjuts of rural Urbana.

Earl left high school in the 10th grade to help with the family farm. He was drafted into the Korean War, stationed in Germany, and served from 1953-1955. He completed his GED at Rantoul High School upon returning stateside. Earl farmed in the Flatville/St. Joseph area his entire life. Earl and Delores loved their family, and they enjoyed ballroom dancing and vacationing in Florida.

Upon retirement from active farming in 2005, he and Delores left the family farmstead and built a home in Gifford. Earl loved everything about Gifford — his church; Monday night Bible study group; Farmer’s Ag Service, where he stopped every weekday for his morning cup of coffee; the North Forty, where he would go to his “meeting” every afternoon to have a Pepsi; and he always said he had the best neighbors.

Earl was a longtime member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Flatville, where he served in many capacities, including Church Council, and a school board member at Flatville Grade School. Upon moving to Gifford, he transferred his church membership to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. He was also a member of the Gifford Lion’s Club.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Danish Thameem, pulmonologist at Christie Clinic, and Dr. Lakshmi, former cardiologist at Christie Clinic, for the wonderful care they provided Earl over the past many years.

Memorials may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Gifford or Country Heath Care & Rehab in Gifford.

NG 6/25/2021