Patricia Diane Ronk Griffith

CHAMPAIGN – Patricia Diane Ronk Griffith went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday (Nov. 22, 2016) at her home in Champaign.

Patricia was born on July 9, 1946, to Nolan O. and Rosemary (Cummings) Ronk at Burnham Hospital in Champaign. She graduated from ABL High School in 1964. After graduation she went to work at Carle Clinic in Urbana as a pathology secretary. She worked there for approximately 13 years.

Patricia married Thomas L. Griffith on April 23, 1980, at the Webber Street Church of Christ in Urbana. Shortly after marrying, Thomas was transferred to the Kraft corporate headquarters in Chicago.

Upon moving to Chicago, Patricia returned to school studying business law and then went to work for Allstate Insurance Company at their corporate headquarters in Northbrook.

After Allstate sold their medical division, she went to work for Metlife until her retirement in 1999. After retirement, they returned to Champaign to be near friends and family.

Patricia is survived by her husband, Thomas; son, Greg (Misty) Nelson of Mahomet; daughter, Michelle (Neal) Scott of McHenry; grandchildren, Zachary Nelson, Brittany Nelson, Madisen Nelson, Morgan Scott and Morgan Scharf; and great-granddaughter, Jaden Prince.

She is also survived by brothers, John (Denise) Ronk, Ray (Cathy) Ronk and Paul (Kathy) Ronk; a sister, Donna (Mike-deceased) Fanakos; along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her oldest brother, Dick Ronk.

After her family (especially her grandchildren), Patricia loved vacationing at Kentucky Lake, boating, Sprint car racing, downhill skiing and the Chicago Cubs.

A private graveside service for family will be held at Grandview Memorial Gardens Mausoleum on Friday, Nov. 25.

Condolences may be offered at www.owensfuneralhomes.com.

Sonya Diana Pizell Phenicie

URBANA – Sonya Diana Phenicie, 76, passed away on Saturday (Nov. 19, 2016) at Presence Covenant Medical Center in Urbana.

She was born on March 19, 1940, to Arthur and Viola (Reed) Pizell in Champaign. Diane married Jerry M. Phenicie on Aug. 3, 1958, in St. Joseph.

Diane is survived by her daughters, Nancy Phenicie and Judy (Tim) Skinner; grandchildren, Zachary (Jessie) Skinner and Caleb Skinner; five great-grandchildren; brother, Raymond Pizell; and sister, Linda Bowlin.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and three sisters, Edith, Delorse and Patty.

Diane loved cats. She enjoyed crocheting and sewing as well as cooking and baking. She and her husband enjoyed playing bingo together for many years.

A graveside committal will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 25, at Grandview Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made in Diane's name to the Champaign County Humane Society.

Sunset Funeral Home, 710 N. Neil St., Champaign, is in charge of arrangements. Please join her family in sharing memories, photos and videos on her tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.

Ronald G. Munds

ST. JOSEPH – Ronald G. Munds, 70, of St. Joseph passed away at 11:04 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 17, 2016) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph. Graveside services will follow at Patterson Cemetery, St. Joseph.

Ron was born on Oct. 18, 1946, in Champaign, the son of Alfred "Al" and Gladys Marsh Munds. He married Rosealice Smith in 1967. They were married for 25 years. They had two sons, Ron J. Munds of Monticello and Rob Munds of Tolono; three grandchildren, Alyson Warmbier, Kassidy Munds and Adam Munds; and two great-grandchildren, Parker and Jade Warmbier.

Also surviving are his mother, Gladys Munds of St. Joseph; siblings, Jerrie Ward of Princeton, Ind., Michael "Mick"(Monica) Munds of Monticello and Pat Munds of St. Joseph; several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Al Munds; brother-in-law, Bobby Ward; and nephews, Steve Ward and Brian Ward.

Ron worked at various local lumber yards. He enjoyed talking with the contractors and customers. He was a hard worker. He enjoyed going to auctions and refinishing furniture.

Donations may be made to a college fund for his great-grandchildren.

Donald Ray Williams

ST. JOSEPH – Donald Ray Williams of St. Joseph, 78, passed on from this life on Monday (Nov. 14, 2016).

Graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at Patterson Cemetery in St. Joseph.

Don, the son of a coal miner and oldest of five children, was born on Aug. 18, 1938, to Lester and Alice (Wainwright) Williams. Don was preceded in death by his parents and his infant siblings, Carolyn and Jerry. His best friend and partner in crime Pete, a black Lab mix, also preceded him in death.

Don married Bonnie Jean McElwee on June 21, 1959. Don and Bonnie had three children, Rodney (Melissa) Williams of St. Joseph, Melinda (Greg) Campbell of Mahomet and Cathy (Kyle) Jorgensen of Bloomington. He is survived by his wife Bonnie, brother Dave Williams of Danville, and sister Linda (Bob) Adolph of Catlin.

Don is also survived by six grandchildren, Miranda (Adam) Groth of Kansas City, Mo., Andrew Kumler of Boulder, Colo., Kyle Williams and Jonathon Williams, both of St. Joseph, Arek Jorgensen and Seth Jorgensen, both of Bloomington; and lastly, Charlie Girl, his beloved black Lab.

Don was a 1957 graduate of Oakwood High School, Oakwood. He then began a long career as a grocery clerk, employed by A&P Grocery. Don worked at several A&P stores, including Champaign, Georgetown and Paxton. He also worked at Ayr-Way IGA, Prospect IGA and Rantoul IGA as produce manager.

Don retired and continued to do what he enjoyed - delivering fresh produce, which he sold to local grocers. In the summer, he'd drive to the "melon patch" for cantaloupe and watermelons and in the autumn pumpkins and firewood.

Don often displayed his goods in the front lawn of his home and sold them using the "honor system." Occasionally, Don gave away more than he sold but did not mind because he enjoyed visiting with both friends and people whom he did not know.

Along with the assistance of picking out the perfect melon or pumpkin came a "Hey, come on in" or a wave from him at the front door. No one left without hearing a story from Don or receiving a pleasant chat.

Don and Bonnie loved going to the Great Smoky Mountains, driving through Gatlinburg and continuing through to Cherokee, N.C. Don and Bonnie would sometimes make several trips a year to the Smoky Mountains, visiting Cades Cove in hopes of seeing a bear before returning to their favorite restaurant, Huck Finn's Catfish, and their favorite hotel, The Norma Dan Hotel. Don's favorite entertainment was the singer and comedian "High Pockets" at the Smoky Mountain Jubilee.

Don was also a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The family would like to thank the wonderful and caring doctors, nurses and staff at Presence Covenant Medical Center who helped care for Don during his stay.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be made to St. Joseph Fire and Rescue for their wonderful care and service over the years.

Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, is in charge of arrangements.

Barbara J. Lane

OGDEN – Barbara J. Lane, 75, of Ogden passed away on Thursday (Nov. 10, 2016) at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

Services will be at noon Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, at Pape Family Funeral Home, 10 E. Williams St., Danville, with Pastor Dave Garver officiating. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday. Burial will follow at Stearns Cemetery in Muncie.

Barbara was born March 6, 1941, in Muncie, to John and Ruby (Followell) Curry. She attended Tilton schools and worked as the head cook for D118 schools for more than 20 years before retiring in 2000. Barbara was a member of Muncie Baptist Church and could often be found playing cards and computer games, as well as baking (especially cakes).

Barbara married Bob Lane in 1982, and he passed away in July of this year. Surviving are two sons, Lawrence (Theresa) Long and Charles Frazier (Vickie Boehme); a daughter, Diane Lane; three grandchildren, Stephanie Vincent, Kalli Lane (Kyle) and Taylor Martin; a great-grandchild, Megan Vincent; and another great-granddaughter due in February, Kailynn.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bob; four brothers; and four sisters.

Messages and memories may be offered online at www.papefuneral.comor on the Pape Family Funeral Home Facebook page.

Memorials may be made in Barbara's name to Muncie Baptist Church.

Elizabeth Ann Wells

EFFINGHAM – Elizabeth Ann Wells, age 92, died peacefully on Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, at St. Anthony's Hospital in Effingham.

Born Elizabeth Ann Foss on June 21, 1924, in Bridgeport, Ann made her home in St. Joseph for 50 years. She worked in the University of Illinois' Physics Department before retiring in the 1990s.

The eldest of five children born to James and Cecil Foss, Ann is survived by her sister Phyllis Smith of Florida and her brother James Foss (Barbara) of Maryland. She was preceded in death by her sister Jeane Howard, brother William "Bill" Foss and beloved son-in-law Allen Satterfield.

Ann had three daughters with her former husband, Richard Wells, and was a beautifully loving mother. Her girls, Lucy Dorene Allis (Michael) of Effingham, Merry Sharon Satterfield (Allen) of Champaign and Melinda Kay Mabry (Frank) of Cornwall-On-Hudson, N.Y., all survive. Childhood memories of Pendleton skirts, black mary janes, Green Rivers and hot dog sandwiches wrapped in foil at drive-in movies made way for true friendship as they all aged together, and the girls spent untold hours together talking with, laughing with, and simply being near their mom. Those conversations continue, differently now.

"Grams" or "Grandma" to her family and most family friends, she was our beloved one, matriarch, trusted counsel and confidant.

She crocheted our children's first blankies (including a certain well-loved BoBo) and rocked the babies in her practiced arms, loving each for themselves. Grams held us, no matter our age, cared for us while we convalesced, sat vigil with us and otherwise created a home that was a sanctuary for her family.

Some memories of Grams' house are shared by us all, some are ours individually: The elephant plant stand at the door, the bird collection on the hutch, candies from the amber cut glass dish and pictures of all of us everywhere. Together, we tended the bird feeders and flower beds, and grilled on the backyard deck we designed and built for her 75th birthday.

Grams was unstoppable and unflappable. She walked the perimeter of St. Joe each morning for many years. She traveled frequently throughout her life, often with her friend Mary Jane and sister Phyllis, on countless impromptu road trips (made faster by Grams' lead foot), or longer vacations to Sanibel Island, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, numerous islands, parasailing at age 82, and frequently to her sister's in Lakeland.

Grams' legacy of love, strength and resilience carries on in her grandchildren, Samantha Toral (Tony Filardi), Rex Shaw (Sheri), Lisa Meid (Christopher Young), Michael "Tony" Shaw (Lisa), Brian Bialeschki, Rachel Bialeschki, Sarah Foss and Brandon Satterfield (Alex Thompson).

"We're going to Grams' house" was all it took to elicit a burst of excitement from her many great and great-great grandchildren, among them Lindsay Ronk, Ryan Toral, Samuel "Sam" Toral, Cameron Shaw, Madison Shaw, Danielle Almaraz (Antonio), Justin Meid, Katherine "Kate" Meid, Michael Young, Arbella Almaraz, Selene Almaraz, Emilio "Emi" Almaraz, Tyler Stewart (Bridget), William "Billy" Stevenson (Chelsea), Bethany Seefeldt (Braden), Adrian Stewart, Braxton and Beaux, Brendan Wells, Nicholas Wells and Courtney Paulter.

Our family is grateful for the love and care shown to Grams by Mary Aguilera, Trish and the staff from Brookstone Estates, and the nurses, doctors, and staff at St. Anthony's. Thank you.

A private memorial will be held for family and close friends. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, please consider a donation to be used for a memorial project at Kolb Park, named after Ann's friend and physician Dr. Kolb and near her home, where generations of grandchildren spent hours playing with their Grams.

Memorial donations can be directed to: Ann Wells Trust, 613 Erin Drive, Champaign, IL 61822.

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be anxious, for I am your God. I will fortify you, yes, I will help you. I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

Jerry Grayfeather Ferguson

 St. Joseph - Jerry Grayfeather Ferguson passed away on 11/7/2016 in Champaign, IL. Jerry was born on March 2, 1946. He will forever be known as Cowboy. A private service will be held at a later date. Condolences may be sent to his family at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.