Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
Cecil Lee Atchison, 89, of Benton, passed away at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 27, 2013.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29 at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton. Funeral services will be ehld at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Octobert 30 at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton. Burial will be in Franklin Cemetery with military rites conducted by the Benton American Legion and VFW Post and the Illinois National Guard Honor Squad.
Opal Mae Osborne, 90, of West City passed away Sunday, October 27, 2013 at the Herrin Hospital.
She was born in West City, IL on January 20, 1923, the daughter of James and Ola Mae (McKinney) Wayman.
She married James A. Osborne in 1945, and he preceded her in death on September 9, 1976.
Mrs. Osborne is survived by her daughter Sherry Osborne Mix, of West City and a son, Devin S. Osborne, of Thompsonville.
She is also survived by 12 grandchildren, Rebecca (Jerry) Choat, Carrier Mills, Brandi Paul, Herrin, Devin S. Osborne, Herrin, Allyson Osborne, Thompsonville, Melody Osborne, Pennsylvania, Anita (Raymond) Frey, Nashville, IL, Angela Clevenger, North Carolina, Annabelle Shukites, Christopher, James Osborne, West Frankfort, Terry Parkhill, West City, Michael (Anna) Osborne, Benton and Lisa (John) Garner, Benton.
Also surviving are 21 great grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren.
Mrs. Osborne was preceded in death by her parents, husband and by two sons, Meredith Lee Osborne and Roy Dean Osborne and by two granddaughters, Dana D. Cowan and Valerie Osborne.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton. Burial will be in the Bald Hill Cemetery in Scheller. Visitation will be after 11 a.m. on Thursday at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton.
Jason Dewayne Johnson, 43, of Mt. Vernon, formerly of Sesser, died October 15, 2013 in rural Jefferson County.
Jason was born March 17, 1970 in West Frankfort, IL to Bob Johnson, Sr. and Betty (Cockrum) Johnson, and they both survive.
He taught automotive classes at Rend Lake College, worked at Ford Square in Mt. Vernon for 12 years and was presently employed by ILMO Gas in Mt. Vernon.
Jason was a member of the First Baptist Church in Sesser, IL and was also a member of Quail & Turkey Unlimited. He was an avid hunter and loved to do mechanical work.
He was married to Jane (Abell) Johnson, of Mt. Vernon.
Jason is survived by two sons, Christopher Reide Johnson and Cody Ryan Johnson, both at home. He is also survived by a brother, Bobby and Suzanne Johnson, of Valier and a sister, Cheryl and Jim Matye, of Valier. Also surviving are nieces and nephews Rachel Matyi, Justin Matyi, Kirsten and Ryan Goodisky and Sophi Johnson. He is also survived by a special family friend, Angela McNail.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 19 at the Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser with Brother Mark Miller officiating. Visitation will be after 5 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Interment will be in Maple Hill Cemetery, in Sesser.
In lieu of flowers memorial should be made to the Christopher and Cody Johnson Educational fund and will be accepted at the funeral home.
Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser is in charge of arrangements. For more information go to www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
He was born May 5, 1920, in Whitesville, Ky., the son of Walter and Minnie (Bullington) Head. He married Ruth Sullivan on Oct. 12, 1949, in Carmi.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Head of Benton and four children, Jim Head and wife, Toni, of Benton, Jodene Head of Bloomington, Wayne Head and wife, Martha, of Harrisburg and Linda Fred and husband, Michael, of Urbana He is also survived by 17 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Jo Ann worked for Techna-Color in Pinckneyville and she was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan.
Jo Ann was born July 15, 1943, in Du Quoin to Albert and Anna (Szczeblewski) Gerstenschlager.
She married Kenneth Brown on May 15, 1965, and he preceded her in death Nov. 12, 2005.
Jo Ann is survived by her children, Kenneth L. and Kelly Brown of Benton, Rhonda Lynn and Todd Hawkins of Mulkeytown and Gregg L. and Michelle Brown of Dix. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Andrew Brown, Mallory Brown, Taylor Hawkins, Gage Hawkins, Gunner Hawkins, Dylan Brown and Kaitlyn Brown and two sisters, Judy Hoffman of Du Bois and Jean and Robert Zoeckler of Du Bois.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and husband.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, in Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser. Burial will be in Mitchell Cemetery in Sesser. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser is in charge of arrangements. For more information go to www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com
She is survived by her children, Christina Busch and Sandra Bullock, both of Georgia and grandchildren, Aaron Busch and Allison Busch, both of Georgia. Also surviving are siblings, Gloria Sickmeier of Johnston City, Jerry Sickmeier and Steve Sickmeier, both of Columbia, Roger Sickmeier of Waterloo, Gale Ray of Chester and Lynn Yearouf of Georgia and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Christian Church in Christopher and will be accepted at the funeral home.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For more information visit gilbertfuneralhomes.com. –
CHRISTOPHER – Elizabeth May Bowling, 79, of Christopher, IL, passed away October 4, 2013 at Herrin Hospital.
Elizabeth was born on May 7, 1934 in Mulkeytown, IL to Otto Ensigner and Ollie (Webb) Ensinger.
She married Darrell Bowling and he preceded her in death on July 23, 1990. Elizabeth was a homemaker and a member of South Side Baptist Church in Christopher.
She is survived by a daughter, Sandra Wilder and husband Don, of Petersburg, IN. Also surviving are grandchildren, Shawn Williams, of Carbondale and Shelly Powell and husband Jay, of Petersburg, IN; great-grandchildren Cole Powell, Conner Powell, Kinzie Powell and Jacob Bowling. She is also survived by a brother, Claude Ensigner, Dixon, IL.
Elizabeth was preceded in death by her husband, a son Randy Bowling, three brothers, Phillip Ensinger, Harvey Ensinger and John Ensinger and two sisters, Mary Rose and Lena Ensinger.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at Gilbert Funeral Home in Christopher with Brother John Overturf officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday from 11 a.m. to the time of the service at 1 p.m. Burial will be in Mulkeytown Cemetery, in Mulkeytown, IL.
In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to South Side Baptist Church in Christopher and will be accepted at the funeral home.
Gilbert Funeral home is in charge of arrangements. For more information go to gilbertfuneralhomes.com.
BENTON — Merle I. Davis, 90, of Benton ‘went home to be with her Lord’ and with her husband of 75 years, John, Saturday morning October 5, 2013.
She was born in Parrish, IL on January 6, 1923, the daughter of Ted and Ethel (McCormick) Kerley.
She married John Logan Davis on Oct. 31, 1937 in Marion, KY. Mr. Davis passed away on Oct. 29, 2012.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis operated Davis Electric/Lawn Mower business for many years. Mrs. Davis was a 60-year plus member of East Benton Baptist Church.
She is survived by three children, Kenneth Dale Davis, of Parrish, IL, Ruth Ann West and husband Danny of Benton, IL and Tammy Eugene Davis and wife Debbie of Yules, Florida. Also surviving is one grandson, Kevin Scott Hefner and one great-grandson, Logan Scott Hefner, both of Benton. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two granddaughters, Terri Renee Hefner and Shelley Renee Davis; by one brother, Wendell Kerley and two sisters, Hazel Rogers and Dorothy Duke.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, October 8 at the Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton with the Rev. Carroll Toler officiating. Burial will be in the Masonic & Oddfellows Cemetery in Benton. Visitation will be after 10 a.m. on Tuesday at Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton.
Thomas Wenfield Wheeler
Tom was born March 26, 1926, in McLeansboro to the late Leonard “Bunt” Wheeler and Uldine Vaughn Wheeler. The rough oil field worker “ran off with the preacher’s daughter” and married the love of his life, Eleanor Kathleen Greer, on May 1, 1943, in Jackson, Mo. Tom has been lost without her since her death Nov. 18, 2004.
Tom is survived by his sons, Thomas D. and Lynda of Buckner, Stephen Winfield and Elizabeth of Du Quoin, Wendell Lee and Kim of Carbondale and Scott and Mary Miller of Rocky Mountain, N.C. Tom lost a son, Daniel Joseph (wife, Donna Wheeler) on Jan. 11, 2012, in Rocky Mountain, N.C.
Other survivors include grandchildren, Dhana Dee Wheeler of Christopher, Thomas Jon (TJ) and Deanna Wheeler of Tolono, Brandi Wheeler of Raleigh, N.C., Neil and Niki Wheeler of Raleigh, N.C., Connor Wheeler of Warrensberg, Mo., Macie Wheeler of St. Louis, Shelby Wheeler of Du Quoin, Hylan Wheeler of Rocky Mountain, N.C.; and great-grandchildren, Hunter Thomas Wheeler of Christopher, John Thomas (JT) Wheeler, Myla, Dylan and Rysa Stacy, all of Tolono, and Colton Wheeler of Raleigh, N.C.
Tom lied about his age and quit school to serve his country during World War II. He was sent to St. Louis and then shipped to New York for naval yard boot camp. He then was chosen to attend engineering school, where he stayed till he graduated as a Marine engineer. He was then shipped out on the USS Davy Crocket, which patrolled the South Pacific. It was during this time that the South Pacific encountered one of the worst typhoons in history.
Tom didn’t stay home long as he was called back into the Navy during the Korean War because of his experience in the engine room. While serving at Fort Huemia, Calif., he also served as the provost’s marshall and served time in Siapan and Guam.
After a stay in LaPorte, Ind., working for the Labors Union under his late sister Phyllis’s husband, Sylvester Jaske, he returned to his roots north of the tracks in McLeansboro. There he became an independent contractor and his bright yellow trucks with Tom Wheeler and Sons House Movers became familiar to Hamilton County residents. He moved many homes throughout Southern Illinois, including many in Benton preparing for interstate 57. He once moved 137 homes out of an army facility in Northern Indiana.
A heart attack in McLeansboro in 1964 changed his occupation as he accepted a job with SIU in the engineering department at Camp Breckinridge Job Corps in Morganfield, Ky., which later led to the family moving to Johnston City when he worked on campus at SIU in Carbondale.
His ability to handle men and knowledge of machines put his family on a tour of the states. Starting at Blue Bell in Du Quoin, to Morgan Colorado Beef in Fort Morgan, Colo., to Hygrade Beef in Seattle, clear across the country to Lundy’s in Clinton, N.C. In 1989, he retired and moved back to Southern Illinois, settling in Benton.
Tom was better known as the “Big Bear” in his later days as a golfer. In fact, his family has hosted a golf tournament for the past 17 years in his honor called Wheeler’s Big Bear Golf Classic. This has always been one of his favorite days to visit and meet teachers, coaches, ath-letes and friends of his family.
Not only a great husband, father, grandfather and uncle, he was one who loved to entertain and tell stories, especially those of his days of growing up in McLeansboro. He also loved watching his sons, grandkids and great-grandchildren compete in athletics in high school, college and later in the coaching profession.
His proudest moment in the eyes of his family was when he accepted the Lord into his life in his greenhouse in his backyard in Benton with the help of Brother Billy Duncan. He was later baptized Nov. 3, 2002, by Brother Duncan in First Baptist Church of McLeansboro, the church where his father-in-law, the Rev. Dewey Greer, once preached.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, in First General Baptist Church in McLeansboro with the Rev. Ken Cook officiating. Burial will be in McLeansboro IOOF Cemetery with military honors provided by American Legion Post 106 and the Military Honors team from Marion. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at the church.
Gholson Funeral Home of McLeansboro is assisting the family with arrangements.
