The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments in a case challenging the state’s Firearm Owner Identification card law that could affect a single person or the entire state.
Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.
Illinois Supreme Court to decide challenge to state’s FOID card law
September 17, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Mary Ann Page – Benton, IL
September 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Mary Ann Page, 82, of Benton passed away Saturday afternoon Sept. 14, 2019 in Mt. Vernon.
She was born in McLeansboro, IL on Dec. 28, 1936, the daughter of Arthur & Ruby (Craddock) Taylor.
She married Larry D. Page at the Nazarene Church in Benton on Aug. 10, 1957, and he preceded her in death on Dec. 27, 2015.
Mrs. Page was a 50 year plus member of the Whittington Church. She served as Head Cook at Benton Grade School for several years, and retired from that position.
Mrs. Page is survived by her children Julie and Bill Sentel of Macedonia, Scott and Lisa Page of Benton, Jill and Pat Sanders of Benton and Jennifer Page of Raleigh, NC; grandchildren Marcie and Adam Clark of Macedonia, Sarah and Donnie Millenbine of Dahlgren, Alison and Jason Woodrow of Springerton, Heather and Ryan Stock of Marion, Ashley Page of St. Charles, MO and Carston Sanders of Benton; great-grand-children
Calynn, Morgan and Camryn Clark, Mallorie and Trevor Millenbine, Grace, Annabell, Caroline, John and Elizabeth Woodrow, Connor Dutton and Henry Stock.
Mrs. Page was preceded in death by her parents, husband, by two brothers, Robert Lee “Bobby” Taylor and Arthur Dean “Arch” Taylor, and by two sisters, Ida Frances and Roberta Jean.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019 at the Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton with Rev. Mark Minor and the Rev. Greg Shelton officiating. Burial will be in the Elder S.M. Williams Cemetery-Ewing. Visitation will be after 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Mrs. Page’s memory may be made to the Whittington Church or to SSM Hospice and will be accepted at the funeral home at any time.
For more information or to send online condolences please visit www.mortonjohnstonfuneralhome.com
Phyllis J. Rivera – Winchester, KY
September 13, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Mrs. Phyllis Jeanette Rivera, age 80, of Winchester, KY and formerly of Franklin County, IL; passed away at 12:19 p.m. EST, Thursday, September 12, 2019 at the Clark Regional Medical Center of Winchester, KY.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, September 16, 2019 at the Leffler Funeral Home, with Rev. Phillip Kennedy officiating. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Phyllis was born on January 18, 1939 in Franklin County, IL, the daughter of Bernard Amend and Norma (Burnett) Amend.
Mrs. Rivera was a homemaker and was of the Baptist faith.
Phyllis enjoyed reading needle point, crocheting, working crossword puzzles, listening to country music, taking long walks in Benton with her mother, and especially enjoyed spending time with her family.
Mrs. Rivera is survived by her children: Norma Borne of Willows, CA, Cynthia Olique of Winchester, KY, Warren Olique of Winchester, KY, Vincent Olique and wife Doris of Winchester, KY; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; two sisters Judy Cook and Janet Cook; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a son Ralph Lee Rivera; a brother Roger Trusty and two grandchildren.
To leave online condolences to the family, or to share memories of Phyllis, visit www.lpfuneralhome.com
Roy Orland Manasco-Marion formerly of Christopher
September 13, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Roy Orland Manasco, 70, of Marion formerly of Christopher passed away on September 12, 2019.
He was born on August 31, 1949 in Coello, IL to Melvin and Eva Jesse (Gandy) Manasco. He married Donna (Shaffer) Manasco on May 20, 2006 and she survives of Marion.
He is also survived by his children, several grandchildren, and one brother Lawrence Manasco of Chicago, IL.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and three brothers Thomas Manasco, James Manasco and Melvin “Pete” Manasco.
He was an Army Veteran serving during the Vietnam War.
Funeral services will be on Monday September 16, 2019 at 2:00 PM at the Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher with Brother Ralph Brandon officiating. Visitation will be on Monday from 12:00 PM until the time of the service at 2:00 PM. Burial will be at Zeigler Cemetery.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
Janet A. Loeh – Royalton, IL
September 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment
She’s Home! Janet A. Loeh, 79, of Royalton, passed away on September 10, 2019, at 5:50 p.m., surrounded by her loving family at her residence.
She was a faithful servant of the Lord, a wonderful mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and friend.
We don’t mourn like most, for we know she is with the “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords”.
Janet was born on December 20, 1939, in Royalton, IL., to her parents, Noah Alonzo and Martha (Boyles) King, and they have preceded her in death.
She was also preceded in death by her son Robert Loeh.
Those to follow will be her three children, Vicki Restivo and husband Rocky, Jana Fann and husband Bryan, and Jody Loeh. Her niece, Darla Brewer and daughter Joli; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
We will not have a funeral service but will celebrate her life on Sunday, September 15, 2019, at 6:00 p.m., at the Royalton First Baptist Church, 709 West 3rd Street, Royalton, IL.
If you would like to honor her memory, please send donations to Agape High School, 5208 Meadowland Parkway, Suite A, Marion, IL. 62959, which was her mission to see children receive Christian education.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Pate Funeral Home, 301 S. Main St., Benton, IL.
Online condolences can be given at www.patefh.com.
Mary Kretz – Christopher, IL
September 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Mary Kretz, 90, passed away Tuesday Sept 10 peacefully at Lavender Ridge in Mt. Vernon. She and her husband are together again.
Mary was born on April 11, 1929 in Valier, Illinois the daughter of John and Barbara (Bede) Chizmadia. She married Roy Peter Kretz on May 24, 1958 who preceded her in death on September 12, 2014.
Survivors include her children, Roy John Kretz of Mt. Vernon, Robert (Lisa) Kretz of Bluford, Catherine Kretz of Bloomington, and Cindy Kretz (Dave Stark) of Mulkeytown; grandchildren, Roy John Kretz Jr., Shannon Kretz, Kali Boaz, Charles Boaz and Todd Boaz; and 2 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband three brothers John Chizmadia, Andy Chizmadia and Bert Chizmadia and one sister Ann (Chizmadia) Tury.
Mary was a homemaker and her enjoyment came from spending time with her family. She was a member of St. Andrews Catholic Church and the Altar Society in Christopher.
Visitation will be on Friday Sept 13 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and on Saturday Sept. 14 from 8:00 Am until 9:45 AM at the Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher. Services will be at 10:00 am on Sept 14 at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Christopher with Father Urban Osuji officiating. Burial will be at St Andrews Catholic Cemetery in Christopher
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
Mary was loved by her friends and family. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the compassionate care provided to Mary at Lavender Ridge Memory Care and through SSM Hospice.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
Eerie September 11 message … from 31 years ago
September 10, 2019 By Leave a Comment
(Editor’s Note: This is a story I wrote on September 13, 2001, two days after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Even after all these years this story still gives me “chills.” The AP picked up this story and it hit the national wire. I did probably six radio interviews by telephone from various places around the nation. This story has to rank as one of my all-time favorites simply because of the raw emotion everybody was feeling in those days immediately following the terrorist attacks. — JM)
By Jim Muir
BENTON–There are things that happen in life, even though hard to explain, that can be passed off as coincidence. And then there are other things, regardless of how much a person tries to reason, that simply have no explanation. Such was the case recently in Benton when a simple phone call produced a chain of events that could only be described as eerie.
The odyssey began Thursday when Benton High School athletic director Don Smith contacted Benton businessman David Severin looking for 40 small flags to place at Tabor Field for Friday night’s football game, as a way to honor and remember the terrorist attack in New York earlier this week.
Severin explained to Smith that he also had been trying to locate flags for his store, All Stars n’ Stitches, that’s located on the Benton square. Severin told Smith, in the aftermath of what had taken place in New York City and Washington D.C., everybody was sold out of flags.
Approximately 30 minutes after the phone call Severin received another call, this time from his mother.
“The first thing she asked me was if I knew anybody that might be looking for some flags,” Severin said. “I asked her how many flags she had and she said 40.”
Severin explained that his mother had been going through the personal belongings of his father, the Rev. George Severin, who passed away two months ago, and came upon the flags that had never been unwrapped.
Severin immediately traveled to his mother’s home and what he saw, in his words, gave him “goose bumps.”
“My dad loved to decorate with flags so it wasn’t uncommon that he’d ordered them,” Severin said. “But when I looked at the sales ticket I noticed that he had ordered the flags more than 30 years ago.”
The flags were shipped, Severin said, from New York City on Sept. 11, 1970 – exactly 31 years to the day that New York City was attacked by terrorists.
“Totally unbelievable,” Severin said. “When I saw the date and where the flags were shipped from … I couldn’t believe it – what’s the chances?”
And if that’s not enough for any skeptics in the audience who want to say ‘merely a coincidence’ there’s one final piece to this puzzle. According to the sales ticket the flags were shipped to the house where the Rev. George Severin lived in 1970 – the address is 337 South Main Street in Benton — which happens to be the same house where Don Smith, the person that made the original phone call about the flags, currently lives.
Darrell Dean Kimmel-Sesser, IL
September 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Darrell Dean Kimmel. 73, of Sesser, passed away on September 8, 2019 at his home.
He was born on January 8, 1946 in Shelbyville, IL to Kenneth and Guyula (Cutler) Kimmel. He married Irma (Vandekerkove) Kimmel on November 16, 1986 and she survives of Sesser.
He is also survived by his children Deana (Steve) Howell of Vail, Arizona, Lindsay (Jody) Davis of Lakewood, IL, and Brandon Kimmel of Tucson, AZ; step-children Fay (Lester) Cash of Mulkeytown and Crystal Douglas of Sesser; grandchildren Weston Kimmel, Whitney Kimmel, Elijah Peterson, Leela Howell, Lilly Howell and Bailey Howell; step-grandchildren Matthew Douglas, Walter Douglas, Ashley (Christian) Lewis, Amanda Clark and Chad Cash; great grandchildren Kenny Douglas, Makynzie Douglas, Levi Clark and Emmali Clark; brothers and sisters Terry (Mary) Kimmel of Pana, IL, Pam Kimmel of Mt Vernon, Sandra (Barry) Marquis of Fredericktown, MO; step brothers and sisters Bob (Lynn) Jones of Whittington, Larry Jones of Wayne City, IL, Bill (Carolyn) Jones of Mt Vernon, Sharon Dickey of Casa Grande, AZ.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father and step-father Lee Jones and one step-brother Donald Jones.
He served in the United States Air Force during Vietnam. He retired from the Rend lake Water Plant, where he worked as an electrician.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday September 14, 2019 at 1:00 PM at the Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser with Brother Mark Minor officiating. Visitation will be on Saturday September 14, 2019 from 11:00 AM until the time of the memorial service at 1:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Whittington Church. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
Cynthia “Cindy” Dawn Ray — Zeigler, IL
September 4, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Cynthia “Cindy” Dawn Ray, 49, of Zeigler, passed away on August 29, 2019, at her residence.
She was born on December 2, 1969, to Carl Travelstead and Beverly Ray in Carbondale, IL. Cindy previously worked as a Overnight Stocker for Walmart.
Cindy was a dear friend to many with a large caring heart. She enjoyed listening to music, karaoke, and loved Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
She is survived by her sister, Shelly Watkins; two aunts, Barbara Rolla and Betsy Hurley; and one uncle, Roger Lee Ray.
Cindy was preceded in death by her parents.
Funeral services have been entrusted to Pate Funeral Home, 301 S. Main St., Benton, IL.
Cremation will take place per Cindy’s wishes. The family is planning a memorial service for Cindy at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pate Funeral Home in care of funeral expenses.
Online condolences can be given at www.patefh.com
Carroll Gene Barrett-Benton, IL (formerly of Christopher
September 4, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Carroll Gene Barrett, 69, of Benton, formerly of Christopher, passed away on September 2, 2019 in Springfield, MO.
He was born on February 4, 1950 in West Frankfort to James Henry and Zenith Mae (Ramsey) Barrett. He married Patsy Sue (Conner) Barrett and she survives of Benton.
He is also survived by his three sons John Robert (Ashley) Barrett of Sesser, Jason Bradley Barrett of Mulkeytown and Justin Michael Barrett of Benton; five grandchildren Logan Robert Barrett, Lillian Renea Barrett of Sesser, Jacob Michael Barrett of DuQuoin, Madelyn June Barrett of DuQuoin and Brooklyn Dawn Barrett of DuQuoin; one brother James “Jim” (Ida) Barrett of Highlandville, MO.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Carroll was a retired Army Veteran serving for 23 years. He did three tours in Vietnam, earning the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. After his time in the Army he then went on to work for Brinks Security and retired after working 23 years for Brinks.
Funeral services will be on Saturday September 7, 2019 at 1:00 PM at the Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher with Brother Larry Cook officiating. Visitation will be on Saturday from 11:00 AM until the time of the service at 1:00 PM at the funeral home. Burial will be at Ward Cemetery in Mulkeytown.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Benton-West City Ministerial Alliance and will be accepted at the funeral home.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhmes.com
