Donald Kibler

 MAYFIELD, Ky. — Donald Kibler, of Mayfield, Ky., formerly of Sidney, Homer, St. Joseph and Urbana, was born March 26, 1941, and passed away on July 21, 2026 at Clinton Place, Clinton, Ky. He was the son of Frank and Neva Kibler, who preceded him in death.

Donald married Kathryn Wolfe on July 9, 1968, who preceded him in death on Dec. 7, 1983. He later married Viola “Vi” Gattis Roy on Oct. 22, 2005; she survives.

Also surviving are a son, Bradley (Amber) Kible; grandson, Olston Kibler; granddaughters Katie (Jackie) Kibler, Charlotte Kibler, Cloe Kibler, and Ella Kibler; a brother, Rodney (Vicky) Kibler; a sister, Tina (Dan) Miller; a stepson, John (Tayna) Roy; a stepdaughter, Pamela (Cory) Howell; a stepgrandson, James Roy; and stepgranddaughters Elizabeth Roy, Su Howell and Lucy Howell.

He was preceded in death by his brother Thomas Kibler.

He was a graduate of Lincoln Christian College and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

He will be remembered as a passionate student and teacher of the Bible. He attended many Christian family camps in the Midwest, including The Northmen Camping Trip.

Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at Freese Funeral Home, Sidney, with Dick Miller officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral.

NG 7/26/2026

Donald John Sjoken

 MONTICELLO — Donald John Sjoken, 94, of Monticello, passed away peacefully on July 22, 2026, at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

In accordance with family wishes, Don will be cremated and friends may greet the family from 1011 a.m. Tu e s d a y, July 28, 2026, at Christ Lut heran Church, 779 E. Old Rte 47, Monticello. The memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. Burial at Blue Ridge Twp. Cemetery will take place at a future date.

Don was born on Aug. 21, 1931, to John and Tena Sjoken. On June 17, 1956, he married the love of his life, Mary Kathryn “Mary Kay” Smothers. Together they built a beautiful life centered on faith, family, and love, and were blessed to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary this year.

Don was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend. His greatest joy came from his family.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Kay Sjoken; his children, Rhonda Collins (Wayne), LeAnn Augustus (Alan), and Daniel Sjoken (Yvonne); his son-in-law, Dan Behnke; his grandchildren, Kyle Behnke (Katy), Haley Ralston (Nate), Ryan Wheeler, Andrea Pavelski (Matt), Krysta Gilbert (Steven), Danielle Sjoken, Kody Hobbs, Brandon Sjoken (Kimberly), and Tyler Augustus; nine great-grandchildren; and his sister, Velma Olson.

He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Donna Behnke.

Don’s life was grounded in his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. Together, Don and Mary Kay faithfully served the Lord and shared His love with others. In 1970, they contacted the bishop and helped initiate the establishment of the Christ Lutheran Church in Monticello, where they became deeply rooted members of a loving church family.

Along with his love for his church, he also enjoyed playing golf, working at Woodlawn Country Club in Farmer City, playing euchre and was well known for his passion of calling square dancing, bringing joy and laughter wherever he went. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was a true jokester, always ready with a smile, a story, or a playful prank that brightened the day of those around him. He will be remembered for his steadfast devotion to his family, his servant’s heart, and his joyful spirit. His legacy will live on in all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Memorials and/or contributions can be mailed to Christ Lutheran Church, Monticello, Illinois.

Condolences may be offered at owensfuneral homes.com.

NG 7/25/2026

Ronald D. Allen

 Homer - Ronald D. Allen, 86, of rural Homer passed away Monday (June 29, 2026) at home.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 6, at Homer Funeral and Cremation Services, 708 S. Main St., Homer. Pastor C.W. Greer will officiate. Burial will take place in G.A.R. Cemetery, Homer. There will be a visitation Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the funeral home.

Ronald was born Sept. 27, 1939, in Danville, the son of Frank Johnson and Laverne Leola Davis Allen.

Survivors include his four sons, Randy (Jan) Allen of Homer, Roger (Debbie Burke) Allen of St. Joseph, Rick (Misty) Allen of Fairmount and Rex (Julie) Allen of Miller, Mo.; two brothers, Richard (Dixie) Allen and John Allen; 11 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his brother Wayne Allen.

Ron was a farmer. He was a member of the Homer United Methodist Church. Ron was the former owner of Allen's Farm Quality Meats. He enjoyed raising cattle and fishing.

Memorials can be made to the Homer Fire Department.

Published by The News-Gazette from Jun. 30 to Jul. 3, 2026.

Darlene Kay Wright

 St. Joseph - Darlene Kay Wright, 86, of St. Joseph, formerly of Homer, passed away Sunday (June 21, 2026) at home.

Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 27, at Homer New Life Church of Faith, 505 W. Crittenden St., Homer. Pastor C.W. Greer will officiate. Burial of cremated remains will take place at a later date at Old Homer Cemetery. Homer Funeral and Cremation Services is assisting the family.

Darlene was born July 23, 1939, in Oakwood, the daughter of Norman and Mary Isabelle Marsh St. John. She married James Gayle Wright on Nov. 8, 1959, in Urbana. He preceded her in death on March 23, 2011.

Survivors include her daughter, Salena Wright of St. Joseph; son, Mitchell Wright of St. Joseph; sister, Barbara Reed of Camas, Wash.; sisters-in-law, Judy Frick and Jackie Schwartz; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

She was also preceded in death by her son, Jeffrey Wright, and grandson, James Wright.

Darlene was a secretary at the University of Illinois. She also worked many years in the auction, antique stores and flea market business. She enjoyed reading and was an avid UI sports and Cubs fan. She loved spending time with her family.

Memorials can be made to Homer New Life Church of Faith or the St. Joseph Fire Department.

Published by The News-Gazette from Jun. 22 to Jun. 26, 2026.

Barbara Louise Kirby

 Barbara Louise Kirby, 95, of Urbana, Illinois, passed peacefully on May 24, 2026. Born on August 25, 1930 to Lula and Arthur Phillips, the youngest of ten siblings, she lived a long and vibrant life, independent in her beloved home until the end. She loved flowers and good food, was a skilled homemaker and former beautician, and was known for her determination balanced with kindness.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arden, her sons Joel (Susan) and Brian, and all nine of her siblings, with whom she remained close until their passing.

She leaves behind a legacy of love and generosity and will be missed by her daughters, April (Scott) and Patience (Phil), her grandchildren Chris, Dan, Claire, Bethany, Ava, Hans, Mason and Autumn, and her great-grandchildren, Arden, Allison, Marie, Amara, Corbin, Gabriel, Annie, Ruth, and Ada.

Your love made the world a brighter place. Heaven is so lucky to have you.

A Celebration of Barbara's life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center's Champaign Chapel, 710 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Following the service, Barbara will be laid to rest at Mt. Olive Cemetery.

Please join Barbara's family in sharing memories, photos, and videos on her tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.

https://obituaries.sunsetfuneralhome.com/barbara-kirby

Virginia Stahl

 Virginia Stahl, 87, died on June 3, 2026 at Savoy Place. She was born on December 31, 1938 in Urbana to Lyle and Audrey Wheat Trotter. She graduated from Urbana High School in 1957.

She married Ronald Stahl on April 13. 1958 in Urbana. He died on March 9, 2021.

After high school Virginia started working as a secretary at the University of Illinois. She continued there for 47 years and retired from the Fire Service Institute as an executive secretary.

Virginia was very friendly and well known for her generosity and care for others. She had many friends and enjoyed spending time with them She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Her hobbies include gardening, caring for her flowers and reading from her large collection of books. She also enjoyed attending any baseball or football games when her son played while in high school and college.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one brother and one sister.

She is survived by her son, Shawn; daughter Lisa Richardson; sister Jane and granddaughters Preslee and Shelbee.

Graveside services will be held on June 18, 2026 at 10:30 am at Mt Olive Cemetery, Mayview.

Heath & Vaughn Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Virginia Stahl.

Hank L. Jefford

 Hank L. Jefford, 90, of Mahomet, Illinois, passed away on June 22, 2026 at Carle Hospital, Urbana. One of six children, Hank was born on January 31, 1936, in Pekin, Illinois, to Charles & Caroline (Helman) Jefford. He married Nila Jo Bachtold on August 15, 1965. She survives.

Hank was a multi-sport athlete at Pekin High School, an accomplished Golden Gloves boxer who finished 2nd in a 10-state Midwest regional, then a college athlete on the Greenville College baseball team, where he received his BS in Education. He served in the Army Reserves before he went on to receive an MS in Physical Education from Indiana University, and later a PhD in Philosophy from Trinity College of the Bible.

Hank was a teacher and coach for most of his life, retiring after 30 years to then start his own painting business. During his time as a coach of multiple sports, Hank was most successful in the sport of basketball, amassing 295 wins over 14 seasons, as well as 4 appearances in the Michigan ACE State Tournament (with 2 state championships) and 2 appearances in the Illinois ACSI State Tournament. His love of sports continued on as an avid fan of Illini athletics, and most importantly to him, his beloved New York Yankees. His main hobby, though, was following and supporting the Mahomet-Seymour High School wrestling team, where he could be found at most meets keeping his own set of in-depth team statistics.

Hank was a gregarious man who always enjoyed meeting new people and conversing with others on a variety of topics. He was a member of Faith Church in Urbana, Illinois, where he served as a board member and a part-time teacher at Kingswood School. At Kingswood, he created and taught a vocabulary class for 30 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers William, Charles and Rudy, and sisters Irene and Lucy. He leaves behind his wife of 60 years; a daughter, Loralee (Kevin) Kelsey, Mahomet, IL; a son, Craig (Stacey) Jefford, Westfield, IN; and three grandchildren, Nat Chapman, Nashville, TN; Taylor Kelsey, Mahomet, IL; Maddie (Austin) Kelsey, Urbana, IL.

Funeral services will be at Faith Church, 2111 N. Willow Rd. Urbana, IL 61801 at 11am June 27, 2026 followed by burial at Mt Olive Cemetery in Urbana. Visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Friday, June 26 at Sunset Funeral Home, 710 N. Neil St. Champaign, IL 61820 and from 10-11am Saturday, June 27 at the church. 

Please join Hank’s family in sharing memories, photos, and videos on his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.