Joseph L. Ainslie, 81, of Benton, passed away Sunday evening, Jan. 5, 2014 at Shawnee Christian Nursing Center, in Herrin.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10, 2014 at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton with the Rev. Bill Perry officiating.  Burial will be in Masonic & Oddfellows Cemetery in Benton, with military honors conducted by the Benton American Legion & VFW Posts and the Illinois National Guard Honor Squad.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois.

Frank Krajnik, 90, of Benton, passed away at 8:55 p.m. Friday, January 3, 2014 at Helia Health Care in Benton.

He was born in Benton, IL, on May 8, 1923, the son of Frank and Josephine (Jedlicka) Krajnik.

Mr. Krajnik was a Korean War veteran, serving in the U.S. Army.

He is survived by two nephews, Ron Burlison and wife Patti, of Benton, IL and Dr. John Burlison and wife Christy, of Lake Havasu City, AZ.

Also surviving are two great nephews, Raymie Burlison and wife Vanessa and their children Raymie Jr. and Major, of Benton, IL and Jared Burlison, of Albuquerque, NM.

Mr. Krajnik was preceded in death by his paretns, two sisters, Mary Krajnik and Martha Burlison.

Graveside funeral services will be held at 12 noon on Friday, January 10 at the Buck Road Cemetery in Collinsville.  Military honors will be conducted at the cemetery. There will be no visitation.

Morton & Johnston Funeral Home, in Benton, is in charge of arrangements.

Wanda Maxine Threlkeld, 93, of Benton, passed away at 9:10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014 at Helia Healthcare in Benton.

She was born in Benton, IL on Oct. 23, 1920, the daughter of William Loren and Gertrude (Dial) Epps.

She married Harry Threlkeld on Dec. 22, 1940 and he preceded her in death on July 10, 1999.

Mrs. Threlkeld was head cook at Grant Grade School and Washington Grade School in Benton, and retired as head cook from Benton Middle School.  She was a member of the Good Sams Camping Club and a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, in Benton.

Mrs. Threlkeld is survived by a daughter, Rita Doty and husband Ken, of Benton and a son, Richard Threlkeld and wife Marlene, of Carbondale.  She is also survived by four grandchildren, Steven Doty and wife Susie, of Scheller, David Doty and wife Amber, of Mt. Vernon, IN, Chad Threlkeld, and wife Heather, of Benton and Kimberly Threlkeld, of Carbondale; six great-grandchildren, April, Emily, Anthony, Caleb, Branden and Loganl; and three great-great grandchildren, Michael, Alex and Kayana.

Mrs. Threlkeld was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two brothers, Buddy Epps and Bill Epps and by a half-sister, Louise Parrish.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 6, 2014 at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home, in Benton, with the Rev.  Ron Cremeens officiating.  Burial will be in Masonic & Oddfellows Cemetery in Benton.  Visitation will be after 9 a.m. on Monday at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home, in Benton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Immanuel Baptist Church or to the Murdale Baptist Church, in Carbondale.

Ruth W. Rice, 94, of Benton passed away Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013 at 8:40 p.m. at Helia Health Care, in Benton.

She was born on January 1, 1919 in Thompsonville, the daughter of Francis Elmer and Lionne (Conover) Warren.

She married Arthur Gordon Rice on Dec. 4, 1937 and he preceded her in death on Sept. 22, 2004.

Mrs. Rice is survived by her son, Kevin Warren Rice, of Bourbonnais, IL and a daughter Kay Kotval, of Benton, IL.  She is also survived by nine grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson.

Mrs. Rice was preceded in death by her parents, by a son, Gordon Richard Rice, by a grandson, by three sisters, Beatrice Barger, Emma Tessier and Ida Brainard and a brother, Ervin Warren.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014 at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home, in Benton, with the Rev. Steve Shotts officiating.  Burial will be at Brady Cemetery in Akin.

CHRISTOPHER — Lauretta I. Chwarczinski, 60, died on Friday, Dec. 27, 2013, in Herrin Hospital.

She was born Jan. 24, 1953, in Mount Vernon, to Dale and Nettie (Cook) Wooters of Odin.

She married Leonard Chwarczinski and he survives of Christopher.

Lauretta was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, children, George and Casondra Chwarczinski of Kell, Joseph and Jeanine Chwarczinski of Boonville, Ind. and Amanda Fraley of Herrin.  She is also survived by grandchildren, Mikayla Chwarczinski, Aaron Chwarczinski, Ava Chwarczinski, Jonathon Chwarczinski, Izaiah Fraley, Jolene Fraley and Harley Hardin and brothers, Stuart Wooters of Louisiana and Brian Wooters of Odin.  Also surviving are sisters, Jaclyn Capps of Belle Rive, Dalane Terrell of Land-O-Lakes, Fla., Joyce Daniel of Alabama, Elvina Wiley of Alabama, , Karen Sharon of Wilmington and Diana Lacey of Wilmington.

Lauretta was preceded in death by her mother; one sister, Gretta Roseanne Casillas; and stepmother, Gretta Wooters.

Funeral services will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 in Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher, with Brother Larry Cook officiating. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home

George O. Smith, 90, of Benton passed away Thursday evening, Dec. 19, 2013 at Nature Trail Health Care Center in Mt. Vernon.

Graveside funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013 at the Franklin Cemetery in Whittington.  Military rites will be conducted by the Benton American Legion and VFW Honor Squad.  Visitation will be after 11 a.m. on Sunday at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton.

Walter Vandekerkhove, 97, passed away at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday December 19, 2013, with his loving family by his side.

Walter, better known as Jeff Vander, was born January 26, 1916, in Skidmore, Kansas.  He was the last of seven children born to Gus and Marie (Menu) Vandekerkhove.

He married Madeline OpdeBeeck in Skiplaken, Belgium, on January 10, 1946, and she preceded him in death in June, 1991.

Walter is survived by daughters Pat (Bob) Boles, Irma (Darrell) Kimmel, Trudy Irvin, and Connie (Danny) Flowers, and one son Walter Jr.  Papa Jeff leaves behind 9 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and 10 great-great-grandchildren.

Walter was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and brothers, Gustave Jr., John and Louis, and sisters Julia, Susan and Garman.

Walter was a WWII Army veteran serving in Belgium as a Jeep mechanic and driver where he met Madeline.  He returned to Illinois with his new bride and began working second shift in the coal mines and opened his life-long business, Vander’s Gas & Appliance.  Jeff and Madeline sold their business in 1975 and retired to Tarpon Springs, FL.

Walter was a member and past-commander of both the American Legion Post 560 and VFW Cox Post 4753 in Sesser, member of the Sesser- Goode Masonic Lodge #744, and lifetime member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.

Funeral services will be on Monday December 23, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. at the Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser.  Interment will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with military graveside rites courtesy of the Sesser American Legion and VFW Post.  Visitation will be from 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. on Sunday December 22, 2013 at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois or to the American Cancer Association and will be accepted at the funeral home.