Aaron Landers

 Lt. Aaron R. Landers, 50 of St. Joseph passed away at 3:11 AM, Monday, August 23, 2021 at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Funeral services will be 11:00 AM, Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at The Vineyard Church, 1500 N. Lincoln Ave, Urbana with Pastor Lutz Braunig officiating.  Burial will be at Patterson Cemetery, St. Joseph.  Visitation will be will from 4:00 to 8:00 PM Monday at The Vineyard Church, Urbana.  A First Responder walk through will be at 6:00 PM.

Lt. Landers was born April 22, 1971 in Charleston, IL, a son to David R. Landers and Janie Barrett.  He married DeLee Houser in 1994 at Mansfield, she survives.   Also surviving are his children; Alex and Keira Landers of St. Joseph, his father; David (Linda) Landers of Effingham and his mother; Janie Barrett of Rantoul, a sister; Rebecca (Steve) Brummer of Bergen Park, CO, nieces; Hailey Capone and Clancey Brummer, nephews; Max, Jack, Sid, Keaton, and Zeke Brummer, countless Brothers and Sister in Blue.

Lt. Landers served in the United State Air Force during Operation Desert Storm, the 183rd Air National Guard, Springfield, IL.  He was employed at the University of Illinois Police Department for 24 years.  During those 24 years he was involved in many other Law Enforcement capacities, including but not limited to; 12 years on METRO/SWAT, 22 years on the East Central Illinois Bomb Squad, currently as acting commander, CIT instructor, K9 therapy/comfort handler, and a member of Team Champaign  COPS ride.

He also received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois. 

He was a loving husband, father, son, brother, and best friend.

Memorials may be made to Illinois COPS Association or Paws and Stripes, comfort dog program of Brevard Co. Sheriffs Department.

Condolences may be made at freesefh.com

Freese FH 8/30/2021

Richard Wagner

 Richard Wagner, 68, of St. Joseph passed away at 11:35 PM on August 7, 2021 at the University of Wisconsin Medical Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.

Richard was born on January 22, 1953 in Champaign, Illinois the son of Edward and Elizabeth (Tempel) Wagner.

He is survived by his son-Derek, (Kacey) Wagner; daughter- Ashley(Robert) Dallas; seven grandchildren- Kirk Wagner, CJ Wagner, Isabella Dallas, Maximus Dallas, Rosalia Dallas, Alexandria Dallas, Leonidas Dallas and four siblings-Barbara Forgette, and David(Elaine) Wagner of Iron Mountain, Mary Howard, Susan Grace,(Randy) Rominger, all of Champaign County, Illinois.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Beradine Wagner, one brother, Ronald Wagner, and three brothers-in-law, Gary Grace, Robert Forgette,Sr., and Kenneth Howard

Richard graduated from Champaign Central High School and after graduation, he enlisted in the Army in which he was a truck driver and had the opportunity to travel to Germany and other countries throughout the world.  He later got an Associate’s Degree from Parkland Community College in business. He was a laborer and tree trimmer and worked for FS Supply for over ten years. He most recently worked as a Road Maintenance Technician for Illinois Department of Transportation. He was a member of Local 703 Laborers Union and the Catholic Church.  He enjoyed spending time with his seven grandchildren, fishing, restoration of antique wagons, gardening, road trips and much more.

Funeral Services will be Monday, August 16, 2021 at 12:00 PM at Renner-Wikoff Chapel, 1900 Philo Road, Urbana, Il. 61802. Visitation will be from 11-12:00 at Renner Wikoff Chapel. Deacon Edward Mohrbacher will be officiating. Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery, Urbana, Illinois. Military rites will be accorded by Urbana American Legion Post 71. Memorials may be made to the family of Richard Wagner. Condolences may be sent to www.renner-wikoffchapel.com

Renner Wikoff website 8/15/2021

Richard E. Dodd

 URBANA — Richard E. Dodd, 91, of Urbana, formerly of Sidney, passed away at 8:05 a.m. Tuesday (July 27, 2021) at The Villas of Holly Brook, Savoy.

Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1, at Mount Hope Cemetery, Sidney, with the Rev. Kathy Murphy officiating. Freese Funeral Home, Sidney, is assisting with arrangements.

Mr. Dodd was born on Sept. 24, 1929, in Sidney, a son to Willard and Helen Brown Dodd. He married Peggy Davis on July 8, 1950, in Indiana. She preceded him in death on March 16, 2019.

Surviving are a son, Robert (Martha) Dodd of Lecanto, Fla.; a daughter, Susan (Mike) McGarigle of Urbana; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Phyllis Taylor.

Mr. Dodd served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was employed at CS Johnson for a number of years. He later had a CB radio business in Sidney before closing that business and becoming a truck driver for Illiana Construction. He was also a member of Teamsters Local 26. He and Peggy enjoyed wintering in Arizona.

Memorials may be made to the Sidney Fire Department. Condolences may be made freesefh. com

NG 7/29/2021

Michael R. Brown

 Michael R. Brown, 40, of Danville and formerly of Sidney passed away at 3:04 PM on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at his home. Michael was born in Urbana, Illinois on October 12, 1980 the son of Phillip “Butch" and Pamela Sue (Marlatt) Brown. He is survived by his father-“Butch"; sister- Rachael (Matt) Paceley and brother – Trever (Kelly) Brown; nieces- Maggie and Reagan; nephews- Colin and Cole. Michael graduated from Unity High School were he was a stand out athlete in wrestling. After High School he  worked as a roofer and was a member of the Union roofers. He enjoyed spending time at the grill and sharing his masterpieces with friends and family. Visitation will be on Thursday, July 29 from 5-7:00 PM at Renner-Wikoff Chapel, 1900 Philo Road, Urbana, Illinois, 61802. Graveside service at 11:00 AM on Friday, July 30, 2021 at Grandview Cemetery, 4112 W. Bloomington Road, Champaign, Illinois 61822. Condolences may be sent to www.renner-wikoffchapel.com

Renner-Wikoff 7/25/2021

Dale Henry LaRoe

 Dale Henry LaRoe, 93, of Urbana passed away on Thursday, July 22, 2021 at his home in Urbana.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 AM Monday July 26 at Renner-Wikoff Chapel, 1900 S. Philo Rd. Urbana.  Pastor Hank Sanford will officiate.  Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Urbana.  Visitation will be from 6 to 8 PM Sunday at the funeral home.

Dale was born on July 19th, 1928, in Ogden, IL to parents Raymond and Lula (Jones) LaRoe. On January 25, 1957, Dale married Patricia (Horn) in Champaign, IL. During his career he ran a radio cab for about 14 years and worked hard scrapping metal.

Dale is preceded in death by his parents; sisters Ina, Nina, Louise, Bonnie, and Ruby; half-sister Sharon; and brother Richard.

He is survived by his beloved wife; children Kenneth Dale LaRoe; Melinda (Ricky) LaRoe, and Eddie Wayne LaRoe (Krista); grandchildren Natalie (Brad) LaRoe, Jared LaRoe, Kyle LaRoe, Ashley (Jimmy) Brunelle, Kimberly (Jared) Brunelle, Johnathan LaRoe, Christopher LaRoe, Charles (Kristina) LaRoe, Gage LaRoe, Devin LaRoe, Jessica LaRoe (Makinzee), Eddie LaRoe Jr. (Kaitlyn), Cole LaRoe, great grandchildren; Carson LaRoe, and Greysin LaRoe; Isaac, Joseph, John, Brandon and Benny; great-great grandchildren Wynter, Klyson, Evan, Haden, Kyler and Jax; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and brothers-in-law.

NG 7/24/2021

Dawn Bagby

 Dawn VanBuskirk, 52, of St. Joseph passed away at 1:25 a.m. Wednesday (July 21, 2021) at home.

Visitation will be Sunday, July 25, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, July 26, at the funeral home. Pastor Randy Boltinghouse will officiate. A visitation on Monday will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Burial will be in Gundy Cemetery, Bismarck.

Dawn was born March 24, 1969, in Bismarck, the daughter of Daniel L. and Linda Lou (Day) Ribbe. She married Jeff VanBuskirk on April 27, 2012, in Urbana. He survives.

She is also survived by her daughters, Abigail Rowe of Champaign and Cassidy Bagby of St. Joseph; sister, Lindsay Riesel of St. Joseph; brothers, T.J. (Lisa) Ribbe of Bismarck and Daniel (Tonia) Ribbe of St. Joseph; father, Daniel (Charlotte) Ribbe of Bismarck; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her mother and a brother, Troy Ray Ribbe.

Dawn was truly an incredible person. She had a contagious smile and laugh that would light up every room. She never met someone she didn’t invest her time into. Her whole life was dedicated to her family and acts of service for her community and others. The legacy that Dawn leaves is one that we should all emulate. One thing she always wanted others to know was that they were valuable. 

A lover of sand between her toes, sunshine on her face and the company of loved ones, living everyday as if it was paradise. She was a true businesswoman who excelled at anything she put her mind to. She loved her careers, which were all diverse forms of hospitality. Every peer and client she ever worked with soon became her friend. We joked as a family that everywhere we went, she knew someone. She was an inspiration that always pushed others to achieve their goals standing proud of their accomplishments. 

A pool at her house was a necessity; temperature above 85 degrees, no splashing the ladies, don’t push her off her raft and, seriously, everyone was invited! She loved her murder-mystery books, even though the author couldn’t keep up with her. We never went on a car trip without her perfectly organized stack of newspapers. Being an avid booty-shaker, dining-and-wining and rock star she was, if you ever hear the song "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot, you should shake it for her.

Source Freese FH 7/23/2021

Charles "Chuck" Carmichael

 Charles “Chuck” Carmichael, 83, of St. Joseph, Illinois passed away on July 20th, 2021 after a long battle with both Parkinson’s disease and dementia. He was surrounded by loved ones at Amber Glen Alzheimer’s Special Care Center when he passed. Chuck was a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He was born on October 12th, 1937 to parents Morris and Gertrude Carmichael (nee Heinrich) in Huntington, Indiana.

            Chuck married Sharan Carmichael (nee Rincker) on April 28th, 1968 in Strasburg, Illinois. They were married for 53 years before he passed. He is survived by his wife Sharan, their three children, Steven Carmichael (Molly) of Ballwin, MO, Cathy Carmichael (Jason Schiedemeyer) of Naperville, IL, and Carla Marshall (Douglas) of Waterloo, IL; his seven grandchildren, Madison Kempen, Drew and Brady Marshall, Grace and Daniel Carmichael, and Alexander and Nicholas Sherrow; and Carter and Kate Schiedemeyer, whom he adored. Also surviving are his mother-in-law Mildred Rincker and in-laws Frank and Belva Rincker, Deanna and Tony Uphoff, Linda and William Orr, Wanda and Roger Kessler, Julie and John Bishop, and Debbie and Geo Glasscock in addition to numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by parents Morris and Gertrude Carmichael and father-in-law Ivan Rincker.


            Chuck served in the United States Navy where he was commissioned out of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. After serving, Chuck attended Purdue University and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management in 1963. During this time, he was a member of the Purdue University band and played the string bass. After college, he worked for Dun and Bradstreet for 37 years. After his retirement, Chuck was employed at Bridgestone-Firestone until 2001. While living in St. Joseph, he was a member of the American Legion Post 634, Jaycee’s Organization, and a council member at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.


            Chuck was a lifelong sports fanatic. His favorite teams included his alma mater Purdue University and The University of Illinois Fighting Illini, where he and Sharan held season tickets during football season for many years. They also attended Chicago Cubs games at Wrigley Field and traveled frequently to watch the Cubs spring training in Arizona. Chuck loved to travel and spent as much time as possible with his family and friends in his favorite places Branson, MO and Central Florida. In addition, he loved to read and play his favorite games including Hand and Foot, Golf, Dominos, Euchre, and Canasta, where he generally crushed the competition. 


            Those who knew Chuck knew him as a selfless, intelligent, humorous, and outgoing individual. He will be deeply missed by everyone he touched during his life.


            His family would like to thank all the wonderful people at Amber Glen Alzheimer’s Special Care Center and Synergy Home Care who helped make his last several months that much better.

            All services will be held at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church located at 802 E. Douglas St., St. Joseph, Illinois 61873. The visitation is scheduled for Monday evening, July 26th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. There will also be a viewing at 9:30 am on Tuesday, July 27th followed by the funeral services at 10:30 am. Graveside services will be Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 P.M. at Grace Cemetery, Strasburg, IL.

Freese Funeral Home 302 E. Grand Ave. St. Joseph is handling the arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.Freesefh.com


 In lieu of flowers, donations may be mailed to the Parkinson’s Foundation 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL  33131 or online at parkinson.org and/or to Alzheimer’s Association 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL  60601. Memorials may also be made to the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph.

Source:  Freese FH 7/23/2021