Janet Lynne Franzen

 Janet Lynne Franzen, 81, of Sidney, passed away April 3, 2025.

Janet was born on June 24, 1943 to Buren and Alta Rosnett in Danville. She graduated from Ogden Community High School in 1961. Janet married Murray G. Franzen in 1963. Janet is survived by her loving husband Murray, three children, Chad, Brett, and Jill, as well as four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

She started her career as a secretary and a beautician. During retirement she enjoyed volunteering at local hospitals and fostering rescue dogs.

Her pride and joy were her grandkids that she cherished and enjoyed taking to parks, zoos, sporting events, and family gatherings.

Janet was a kind, soft spoken person to everyone she met. She built long lasting friendships with neighbors in several states and abroad.

A memorial service will be held on April 8 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Broadlands. Family visitation begins at 10:00 a.m. with service to follow. Grave site service will take place at Stanton Friends Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Immanuel Lutheran Church, Broadlands.

Freese FH 4/4/2025

Regina "Kay" Akers

 Regina “Kay” Akers, 77 of Sidney, born to Ollen and Hellen Carpenter Shelby of Sidney.  She is survived by a daughter; Jennifer Akers of Savoy, many stepchildren, brothers; Elba Shelby of Sidney, Dennis Shelby of Sidney, and sister; Lois Ann (Ron) Jaggers of Sidney, along with many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by husband; Nathan Akers, her parents, sisters, brothers and niece; Savannah.

Kay married Nathan Akers Nov 11, 1977.  She was an avid bingo player and a big sports fan.  Kay loved babysitting all her nieces and nephews.  She was also known to be very generous to her family.  Kay loved all her animals.

Kay passed peacefully on April 5, 2025 surrounded by her family.  Graveside services will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Sidney.

Condolences may be made at freesefh.com 4/5/2025

Bryan K. McCoy

 ST. JOSEPH - Bryan K. McCoy, 62, recently of St. Joseph, formerly of Las Vegas, passed away at 4 p.m. Thursday (March 27, 2025) at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood.

Bryan was the son of the late Oathia McCoy and the late Barbara Fitch.

He is survivied by three daughters, Nicole (Brad) Wakefield and Randi Keeling, both of Mahomet, and Taylor McCoy of Urbana; three grandsons; three sisters; and one brother.

The family wishes to thank cousin Donald Allen Glenn Jr. and wife Sarah, who provided housing, care and support during his illness. Special thanks to the medical staff of the Loyola University Medical Center transplant, oncololgy and palliative care teams for his medical care and support of the family.

A celebration of life will be held at a time, date and locaton to be determined at a later time.

NG 4/4/2025

Crystal L. Dawson

 HOMER - Crystal L. Dawson, 57, of Homer passed away at 11:57 a.m. Saturday (March 29, 2025) surrounded by family in her home.

She was born on Jan. 10, 1968, in Indianapolis, the daughter of Eugene and Sharon (Dillman) Dawson. She married Mary Kay Anderson on Sept. 13, 2014.

Crystal is survived by her spouse, Mary Kay Anderson; sisters Juanita Stanley and Jo Ann Dawson, both of Urbana; uncle, Carson; aunt, Garrie; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a niece, Ashley; and her sister Bernice.

Crystal graduated from Homer High School in 1986.

She was a member of the Homer United Methodist Church.

She enjoyed playing softball and played on several leagues as an adult. She was an artist and showered family with many pictures, pieces and poetry. She also loved crafts. She collected dachshund figurines. Spending time with family and friends was very important to her.

Funeral services will be on Friday, April 4, at 1 p.m. at Renner-Wikoff Chapel, 1900 Philo Road, Urbana. Pastor Bobbi Dykema will be officiating. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Glen Cemetery, Paxton, with Pastor Heju Nam.

Memorial contributions may be made to Mercy Ships, mercyships.org. Condolences may be made at renner-wikoff.com.

NG 4/4/2024

Alvin D. Schluter

 

URBANA - Alvin D. Schluter, 76, of Urbana died at 4:13 a.m. Wednesday (April 2, 2025) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Funeral services will be at noon Monday, April 7, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Gifford, with Pastor Gary Maxwell officiating. Burial will follow in Kopmann Cemetery, with military honors accorded by Royal American Legion Post 996. Baier Family Funeral Services, Flatville, is assisting the family with arrangements. Visitation will be two hours before the funeral service Monday, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the church.

Alvin was born Jan. 19, 1949, in Urbana, the son of Mike and Elfrieda Hesterberg Schluter. He married Evelyn VanGeison on Aug. 12, 1989, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Gifford. She survives.

Along with his wife, Evelyn, he is survived by their children, Candace (Ricky) Robb, Beth Schluter and Justin (Ashleigh) Schluter, all of Oklahoma City, Gayla (Don) Matejowsky of Champaign, Dayna Taylor of Lexington, Ky., and Annette Flood of Urbana; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; his sister Evelyn (Larry) Miller of St. Joseph; and a twin brother, Marvin Schluter of Gifford.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Jason Schluter; his brother Lawrence Schluter; and a sister, Marie Hoveln.

Alvin graduated from Rantoul Township High School. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1968-1974. He was a heavy-equipment operator for the IUOE Local 841 and a truck driver.

He was a lifelong member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Gifford and served on the church council and the youth organization. He was also a member of the Gifford Lions Club. Alvin enjoyed boating and was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. He loved to work, but his greatest joy was spending time with his grandkids and family.

Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Gifford or Kopmann Cemetery. Condolences and memories can be shared with the family at baierfuneralservices.com.

NG 4/4/2025

John Conerty

CHAMPAIGN - John Conerty, 90, of Champaign passed away peacefully at home on Monday (March 31, 2025).

He was born on Dec. 16, 1934, in Urbana, to Hugh James and Mary Helen (Henry) Conerty. John married his high school sweetheart, Joanne Hissong, in 1956 at St. Patrick's Church in Urbana. Together, they built a life full of love, laughter and cherished memories in their 68 years of marriage.

In addition to his wife, John is survived by three daughters, Corrine (Harold) Crawford of Thawville, Cheryl (Kim) LeNeve of East Peoria and Cathy (Don) Schaeffer of Taylorville; and one son, Chris Conerty of Urbana. He is also survived by his sister, Cleta Conerty of Champaign; and five grandchildren, Darcy (Kevin) Nekolny, Phillip (Skylee) Crawford, Jeff and Tim Schaeffer and Stasia Conerty. John's legacy also includes five great-grandchildren, Delaney and Alayna Nekolny of St. Joseph and Sydney, Leo and Ted Crawford of Roberts.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Hugh Conerty Jr.; and granddaughter, Lexi Barbour.

John graduated from St. Joseph Community High School, where he served as chapter president of the FFA and earned his Illinois Star Farmer Degree in 1951. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Illinois in 1956. John served in the U.S. Navy Reserves and was honorably discharged 1961. He began his professional career in agriculture as an assistant farm adviser with the UI Agriculture Extension Office in Coles County. Later, he worked as an area adviser for Farm Bureau Farm Management in Douglas County. He was a life member of the Loyal Order of Moose.

In 1978, John transitioned to a successful banking career, serving as the president of Longview State Bank. He retired in 1999 as the vice president of three additional bank branches. During his working career, John remained deeply involved in agriculture, working on the family farm, which he continued well into retirement, along with establishing his own real-estate brokerage.

Always up for an adventure, John loved taking his family on trips to places such as Washington, D.C., Wyoming, Colorado and Canada. He was particularly proud of the brick home he and Joanne built along the Embarrass River in Tuscola, where they spent many joyful years surrounded by nature. Their home became a special place for their family to gather, explore and create lasting memories. Grandchildren reveled in searching for "Benny the Bear" in the hollow tree and enjoyed countless hours of fun playing "ping pong pool" in the basement.

John was a lifelong Illini fan and a proud member of the UI Alumni Association. He loved following the accomplishments of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, especially their sports and academic achievements. Known for his humor, John will be remembered for his sharp wit and classic "zingers," which brought laughter to everyone around him.

A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Monday, April 7, at St. Matthew Catholic Church, Champaign. The Rev. Father Nathan Hopper will officiate. Burial will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery, Mayview. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. in Feeney Hall at the church. Morgan Memorial Home, Savoy, is in charge of arrangements.

A celebration of John's life will be held with an invitation for friends and family to wear orange and blue attire in honor of his love for the UI.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the St. Joseph-Ogden High School FFA, St. Matthew's Church in Champaign, St. Mary School in Taylorville or an organization of your choice.

John's presence will be missed, but his memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him. Condolences may be offered at morganmeorialhome.com.

NG 4/2/2025

Hans Hinrich Pein

 Hans Hinrich Pein passed away at the age of 83 in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 23, 2025.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday, March 31, 2025 at Morgan Memorial Home, Savoy. Burial will held at 1:00 p.m. Monday with military honors at the Danville National Cemetery, Danville, IL.

Hans was born on November 9, 1941 to Minna and Hans Emil Pein in Pinneberg, Germany. He married Linda Blobaum in 1969; they divorced in 1992. He is survived by his sister Linda Sagemann of Hamburg Germany, daughters Gretchen Pein (Michael Faullin) and Christina Pein, grandchildren Roxy Todd of Champaign, Maxwell Baloun of Birmingham Alabama, Lily Skiles of Tuscaloosa Alabama, Trenton Faullin and Trey Faullin (Karisma Saymiknha), all of Champaign. He was preceded in death by sisters Annelies and Leni and grandson Trevor Faullin.

After studying animal husbandry in Germany, he traveled to the United States to work on his Uncle Rudolph’s dairy farm in Poughkeepsie, New York. He learned English by reading the daily newspaper and carried a German-English dictionary in his pocket at all times. Hans played soccer with Blau-Weiss Gottschee, a semi-pro New York team in the American Soccer League in the 1960s. He was drafted into the US Army while awaiting his green card and completed boot camp at Fort Dix, subsequently earning the M60 Expert Badge, the M14 Expert Badge, and the M14 Sharpshooter Badge. His service as part of the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam earned the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was wounded in combat and experienced significant exposure to Agent Orange during his time in southeast Asia. Following his recovery, he became a Naturalized American Citizen. His identity as a soldier was salient throughout his adult life, and he tried to help as many veterans as he could. In his later years he was a fixture at the Danville VA Medical Center.

Following his military service, Hans returned to the states and settled in West Chicago Illinois, where he completed a degree from DuPage Horticulture School and met his future wife, Linda Blobaum. Upon graduation, he returned to upstate New York to work in a greenhouse. Hans was fiercely independent and was meant to be his own boss - one of his signature phrases was “there’s the right way, the wrong way, and my way” - so in 1972 he and Linda, their infant daughter and their Yorkshire Terriers moved to rural St Joseph, Illinois. It was there that Stanton Greenhouses was established.

Stanton Greenhouses employed many throughout thirty years: recent immigrants, locals throughout central Illinois, college and high school students, and anyone who couldn’t otherwise catch a break in life. If you were ready to work, Hans would give you work. He also provided extended learning opportunities for numerous DuPage Horticulture School and University of Illinois student interns. He graciously donated plants to various community organizations, nursing homes, and schools. He worked closely with the University of Illinois Horticulture Club for 20 years, providing space for plant production and hands-on instruction to club members. The 2001 Hort Club Mom’s Day Flower Show was dedicated to him. He also helped establish the Urbana Farmer’s Market, and Stanton Greenhouses was a consistent vendor for many years.

In his retirement, Hans spent many hours managing the athletic fields and grounds at the High School of St Thomas More and received a volunteer award for his efforts. He briefly worked in the Lowe’s garden center in Champaign. For many years, he provided landscaping consultations freely to friends and acquaintances and patiently answered many houseplant care questions.

Hans was an avid fisherman and traveled to his “second home” in Manitoba, Canada at least once each summer and made many lifetime friends there. He loved to bring relatives or central Illinois friends along for the experience and always returned to Illinois with loads of Northern Pike and Walleye. He was also an excellent bowler. He competed in the American Bowling Congress Championships in 1974, was awarded an American Bowling Congress 300 Game Watch, and was inducted to the Champaign County Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 2001. Golfing was another passion; Hans was a long-time member of the Urbana Country Club and spent many, many hours socializing and perfecting his skills on the golf course.

Hans did not know a stranger, and he leaves many friends and even more memories. Whether he was bartending Zsa Zsa Gabor’s parties in the Catskills, meeting new people on European cruises, attending Stammtisch at Rigg’s Brewery or driving his golf cart through the neighborhood, he had advice and a story for everyone.

Memorials may be made to an organization of the donor’s choice. Consider some of Hans’ favorites: Disabled American Veterans, Stop Soldier Suicide, Make-a-Wish Illinois, or any animal rescue organization.

Condolences may be offered at www.morganmemorialhome.com.

NG 3/26/2025