Patricia Crawford

Patricia Crawford

OGDEN – Patricia Crawford, 78, of Ogden passed away at 6:05 p.m. Monday (Jan. 20, 2014) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, with Pastor Marsh Jones and Leland Collins officiating. Burial will be in Mount Olive Cemetery, Mayview. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Pat was born Dec. 22, 1935, at St. Joseph, the daughter of Roland and Frances Motsinger Freeman. She married George A. Crawford on June 15, 1953, at Ogden. He preceded her in death on March 20, 2002.
She is survived by her children: son, George E. (Candy) Crawford of Tuscola, and four daughters, Patti Wiench of Rolla, Mo., Paula Wolken of Royal, Peggy Atkins of Urbana and Pamela (Ernie McConaha) Jayne of Rantoul; 11 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Dennis Freeman of St. Joseph.
She was preceded in death by a grandson, Nicholas Jayne, and her parents.
Pat worked at the University of Illinois ticket office. She belonged to the VFW Ladies' Auxiliary Post 5520 and Ladies' Auxiliary American Legion Post 71.
Pat loved to garden and fish and to sing and rock her grandchildren; she was a wonderful seamstress.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Bridle Brook Adult community, Prairie Winds and the Critical Care unit at Carle Foundation Hospital.
Memorials may be made to VFW Honor Guard Post 5520.

Alberta West

Alberta West

SIDNEY – Alberta R. West, 95, of Sidney passed away at 11:30 a.m. Thursday (Jan. 2, 2014) at her home.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, 905 S. Russell St., Champaign, with the Rev. Laurie Hill and the Rev. John Tennyson officiating. Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will be in East Lawn Cemetery, Urbana. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Hilligoss Shrader Funeral Home, Tuscola.
Mrs. West was born Aug. 30, 1918, in Urbana, the daughter of Gilbert and Emma Ziegler Moenkhaus. She married Dale A. Yeazel in September 1942. He was killed in Normandy, France, in June 1944. She then married Mace J. West on Feb. 9, 1948, in Champaign. He preceded her in death on June 8, 2000.
Survivors include her daughter, Janet (Darrell) McCumber of Camargo; grandchildren, Mallory (Aaron) Seidlitz and Devon (Morgan) McCumber; and great-grandchildren, Sophia Seidlitz, Nolan Seidlitz and Reagan McCumber.
She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Michael West; brother, Art Moenkhaus; and an infant sister, Wilma Moenkhaus.
Mrs. West was the assistant librarian for the Sidney Community Library from 1973 until 1999. She was a member of the St. Peter's United Church of Christ and the Sidney American Legion Auxiliary.
Mrs. West enjoyed music, dancing, reading and spending time with her family.
Memorials are suggested to St. Peter's United Church of Christ or to the Salvation Army.
Online condolences may be shared via www.hilligossshraderfh.com.

Lois Rushing

Lois Rushing

URBANA – Lois Doreen Rushing, 82, of Urbana, formerly of Homer, passed away at 8:03 a.m. Sunday (Jan. 5, 2014) at the Champaign County Nursing Home in Urbana.
There will be a private graveside service on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, at the Old Homer Cemetery in Homer. Pastor C.W. Greer will officiate. There is no visitation. Kirby Funeral Home, Homer, is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rushing was born May 4, 1931, in Villa Grove, a daughter of Arnem and Hazel Smith Williams. She married Jackie Allen Rushing on May 20, 1951, in Homer. He passed away on Dec. 13, 1998.
Survivors include two daughters, Sandra Griffin of Homer and Lori Ann Jones of Wisconsin; three sons, Garry Rushing, Thomas A. Rushing and Jody D. Rushing, all of Homer; two sisters, Merle Ohms of Urbana and Berle Williams of California; 10 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Rushing was a member of the Homer New Life Church of Faith and the Homer American Legion Auxiliary. She loved her dog and birds.
Memorial contributions may be made to Champaign County Nursing Home for the activities fund.

Dorothy Bahls

Dorothy Bahls

GIFFORD – Dorothy Ideus Bahls, 93, of Country Health Nursing Home, Gifford, passed away at 10 a.m. Tuesday (Dec. 31, 2013).
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Flatville, with the Rev. James Lehmann and the Rev. Barbara Busboom officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in Kopmann Cemetery.
Frees Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, is in charge of arrangements.
Dorothy was born Oct. 28, 1920, the daughter of Reiner and Sena Kopmann Ehler. She married Heye Ideus on March 8, 1945, in Flatville. They raised four children, Delores, Ray, Ron and Linda, and farmed in the Flatville area until Heye died Dec. 26, 1975.
She later married James Bahls on Feb. 27, 1982; he died Jan. 29, 2008.
She is survived by Delores (Alan, deceased) Harms of Royal, Ray, deceased (Judy) Ideus of Thomasboro, Ron (Nancy) Ideus of Flatville and Linda (Gary) Carmien of rural Urbana; six grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Dorothy was preceded in death by son Ray on Oct. 9, 2013, and three sisters, Anna Loeschen, Martha Franzen and Lorena Busboom.
She was a lifelong member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and was an avid Illini and Cubs fan.
Memorials may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church or Country Health Nursing Home, Gifford.

William Fourez

William Fourez

ST. JOSEPH – William Arthur Fourez, 78, of St. Joseph passed away the morning of Dec. 28, 2013. He was at home surrounded by his wife, son and daughter-in-law.
William was born Dec. 1, 1935, and enjoyed a successful life of farming in the Sidell/Fairmount area. His parents were Felix and Marie Fourez. He married Sherry Fourez in 1987.
Surviving are his wife and two sons, Steven (Melinda) Fourez and David (Sue) Fourez; two step-children, Steven (Angie) Fitzsimmons and Jackie (Karl) Kern. Also surviving were lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was respected and loved by them all.
William served during the Korean war in the U.S. Air Force as a jet mechanic.
No services will be held; his ashes will be scattered at a later date. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, a donation in William's name may be sent to the St. Joseph-Stanton Volunteer Fireman's Fund, P.O. Box 911, St. Joseph, IL 61873. They were kind enough to give their Christmas morning to take care of William.
Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, is in charge of arrangements.

Robert Wienke

Robert Wienke

EL RENO, Okla. – Robert Chester Wienke passed away Monday (Dec. 16, 2013) at home in El Reno, Okla.
He was born Dec. 11, 1933, on the family farm in Homer, to Earnest and Emma (Rahn) Wienke.
After graduating, he served his country in the United States Army. Before moving to Oklahoma, he and his sister and brother-in-law operated the local dry cleaners (Wienke and Taylor Dry Cleaners) in Homer and St. Joseph. He also managed and worked for his father-in-law at the Pink House Bar and Grill in Ogden. He was also a faithful member, in all his years in Homer, of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Broadlands.
After moving to Oklahoma, he worked in the natural gas and oil industry for almost 30 years, and after retiring from the field, he worked at the local Wal-Mart.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Linda (Strohl) Wienke; his parents; brothers, Earnest Wienke Jr. and Maurice Wienke; sister, Laura (Wienke) Offenstine and her husband Danny; brother-in-law, Ralph Swan, and sister-in-law, Barbara Wienke.
Survivors include his daughter, Teresa, and fiance Danny of El Reno, Okla.; sons, Robert A. Wienke of Yukon, Okla., and Bradley Wienke and wife Megan of Yukon, Okla.; grandchildren, Heather (Horse) McCaskil and husband Cody of Blanchard, Okla., Kristin Horse and Tianna Horse, both of El Reno, Okla., and Bryce, Riley, Laney, Hunter and Jillianne Wienke of Yukon, Okla.; great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Horse-Cagle, Koby Espinoza and two more on the way in early 2014; brother, Vern Wienke of Homer; sisters, Lois Swan of Aurora, Orthalene Taylor and husband Bill of Homer, and Irma Clem and husband Don of Homer; sisters-in-law, Marion Wienke and Bonnie Wienke of Homer; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Glen and Barbara Hathaway of El Reno, Okla., and Rod and Pat Zenner of El Reno, Okla., and Bob and Marilyn Strohl of Peoria; and many nieces and nephews he loved very much.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, at Trinity Lutheran Church in El Reno, Okla., with burial in the El Reno Cemetery. Services are under direction of Wilson Funeral Home in El Reno, Okla.

Mary Ann Miller

Mary Ann Miller

ST. JOSEPH – Mary Ann Miller, 75, of St. Joseph passed away at 9:25 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 14, 2013) at Heartland Health Care Center in Champaign, surrounded by her family.
A visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013, at Renner-Wikoff Chapel and Crematory, 1900 S. Philo Road, Urbana. A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m., following the visitation. Carle chaplain Tony Crouch, who brought comfort to Mary Ann and her family, will officiate at the service. A private burial will take place at a later date in Eastlawn Burial Park, Urbana.
Mrs. Miller was born Sept. 21, 1938, in Champaign, to parents Paul and Nancy (Baily) Greenwell. She married Harold Glenn Miller on Oct. 26, 1958. He preceded her in death on Dec. 13, 2003.
Surviving Mary Ann are two sons, Michael Miller (Laurie) of Ogden and Jesse Miller of Paxton; a sister, Jennie Rodgers of Champaign; three grandchildren, Blake, Shane and Christina Miller; and one great-grandson, who will be born in February.
Mary Ann was also preceded in death by her parents, two sisters and one brother.
Mrs. Miller had a wide range of occupational talents. Among her favorite workplaces were Holiday Inn, where she was a restaurant manager, and Western Bowl.
In addition to volunteering with the Amvets Auxiliary, she enjoyed watching her grandsons play in the St. Joseph youth football league. In later years, she became an avid fan of the Illini women's basketball team.
Mary Ann always put those she loved before herself. Although she missed her husband dearly after his passing, she took pride in her independence. One of her greatest joys was helping others.
Memorial contributions may be made in Mary Ann's memory to the Carle Center of Philanthropy, Hospice, at www.carle.org/giving/donate.aspx. Condolences may be offered online at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com.