Search results for

#Obituary

#1 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/05/2006

#Obituary
I was looking through the obituary page online and I noticed the obituary of Mr. Cihla. The Cihlas lived down the road from us in Marquette Hts. Although we didn’t know each other well —— I remember many of the Cihla boys delivered the afternoon paper. I delivered the morning paper and there was always a bit of rivalry among us but never anything rude or mean. I always remembered their father as a smiling man.

MjL

#2 Click this link to see Blog page --> 01/05/2007

This #Obituary in the Pekin Times caught my eye. I went to Georgetowne Jr. High with Butch. He ran with a rough crowd and once stole my watch out of my gym locker. All is forgiven Butch.

Louis Winter Jr.

MjL

#3 Click this link to see Blog page --> 02/15/2007

#Obituary
I came across the obituary for Ed Copp.

MjL

#4 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/30/2007

I was scanning the #Obituary page of the online Journal Star and happened to see that Mr. Flatley, whom I delivered newspapers to in Marg. Hts. so many years ago, has passed away.

Mr. Flatley’s online obituary

MjL

#5 Click this link to see Blog page --> 09/04/2007

#Obituary
I was just looking through the online obituary section of the Journal Star and came across the obituary for Ron Logue.

I knew Ronnie fairly well and was always proud to stand beside him at the union hall or on the picket line. He told me one time he thought he was related to Tracey because he had relation in southern Illinois that were married into the Neal family. I never did get the particulars, but I know he was good people.

MjL

#6 Click this link to see Blog page --> 10/31/2007

#Obituary
I just received a phone call from good friend Roberta Lee. She just called to let me know her father, Robert Calhoun, had passed away. He will be missed. I include a link to his obituary below.

Robert Calhoun Obituary

MjL

#7 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/22/2008

#Obituary
I received word from a good friend that another friend from youth and school days has passed away. Bert was a great guy and a bit eccentric. He and his wife moved into my old childhood home on Craig Rd. in Marquette Hts. I must admit I didn’t keep up with Bert after moving away from the old hometown but I will always have very fond memories of our times together in school and especially the Boy Scouts. We spent many an evening yarning around the campfire.
[Obit from PJ Star]

MjL

#8 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/25/2008

#Obituary
I received a phone call from Steve Mitchell yesterday. He wanted to let me know that a mutual friend and union brother had passed away. Phil Morse was one of the good guys.

Our boys always looked forward to seeing him because he brought candy to the picket lines for the kids. He was our “Candy Man” —— a biker who would climb down off his mean machine, smile as big as the world and make our boys smile just as big. He will be missed.

Phil Morse

MjL

#9 Click this link to see Blog page --> 04/07/200904/07/09 Mel Green «The Legel Report»

Mel Green’s obituary —— he passed away last Thursday. Mel was a great guy that I worked with at Caterpillar. I met him while I was a union Committeeman during the Great Strike. He was one of the best union stewards I have ever met. #Obituary

MjL

#10 Click this link to see Blog page --> 04/26/2009

#Obituary
My Cub Scout den mother of many years ago was named Mrs. Sims. This obituary is for the second Mrs. Sims, the step-mother of the Sims kids I knew so well. I am also surprised to find that her stepson Danny has also passed away.

Lois Sims

MjL

#11 Click this link to see Blog page --> 09/27/2010

#Obituary

Mrs. Aleshire Obituary

MjL

#12 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/23/2010

I did not have Mr. Chobanian for a teacher in high school, but I remember his face and name. May he rest in peace. #Obituary

Michael Chobanian Obituary

MjL

#13 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/30/2010

#Obituary
Irvin Kershner, who directed the Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back and the James Bond film Never Say Never Again, has died. He was 87.

Obituary

MjL

#14 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/01/2010

#Obituary
I worked with Maynard Siscoe for several years at Caterpillar. Both in the East Peoria Toolroom and at the Mossville Tech Center. He was one of the good guys and will be missed.

Obituary

MjL

#15 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/04/2010

Ron Santo, one of the greatest players in Chicago Cubs history and a longtime WGN radio announcer whose devotion to the perennial losers was made obvious night after night by his excited shouts or dejected laments, has died. He was 70. Obituary #Obituary

MjL

#16 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/07/2010

Elizabeth Edwards died Tuesday afternoon after a six-year battle with breast cancer. Obituary #Obituary

MjL

#17 Click this link to see Blog page --> 01/11/2011

#Obituary
Richard “Dick” Winters, the Easy Company commander whose World War Two exploits were made famous by the book and television miniseries Band of Brothers, died last week in central Pennsylvania. He was 92.

I saw this on the Internet yesterday and thought I would share it. If you haven’t read the book or seen the mini-series Band of Brothers this may not mean much to you. I have always been struck by the sacrifice of those who fought in WW2. Obituary

MjL

#18 Click this link to see Blog page --> 01/23/2011

#Obituary
Lindsay Gene Bianchi, 55, passed away at 8:40 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20th, 2011, at Pekin Hospital following a five-year battle with leukemia.

I went to high school with Lindsay and his twin sister Lisa. I didn’t know either of them well, but well enough to be surprised to see his name and picture.

Obituary

MjL

#19 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/08/2011

Randy Waddell passed away recently. He was a good union man and steward who struggled to keep his Christian values while working for a Godless corporation. He will be missed. #Obituary

Obituary

MjL

#20 Click this link to see Blog page --> 02/18/2012

#Obituary
I went to high school with Steve Hagood. Although we were never close friends we were in school together since grade school and I was on the high school football team with him. My brother Alan notified me that he passed away recently.

Obituary

Update: I had originally spelled Steve’s last name incorrectly and have since corrected it. Thanks to my sister DD for letting me know!

MjL

#21 Click this link to see Blog page --> 05/02/2012

#Obituary
Mr. Barker was my math teacher in high school. He was one of the good guys and will be missed.

Richard Edward “Dick” Barker, 70, of Pekin passed away at 10:08 a.m. Monday, April 30, 2012, at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria.

Obituary

MjL

#22 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/07/2012

#Obituary
Martha was a union woman with a heart of gold.
She had a beautiful smile, but you had to win it.

Obituary

MjL

#23 Click this link to see Blog page --> 04/14/2013

#Obituary
I saw this in the obituaries today. Wes is around Noah’s age and used to live up Allentown Rd. from us. Very sad.

Obituary

MjL

#24 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/02/2013

#Obituary
Rocky Duffin was a permanent fixture at the UAW hall, he recently passed away.

Obituary

MjL

#25 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/08/2013

#Obituary
Obituary for James Teel

MjL

#26 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/16/2013

Jerry Baker was our bargaining chairman at my union throughout the many years of our labor struggle with Caterpillar. I found the #Obituary of his wife Sue in the listings this morning. I didn’t know her well at all but I always thought fondly of her.

Sue Baker Obituary

MjL

#27 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/20/2013

#Obituary
Holly Killion, the wife of my cousin Bob Killion, passed away last Tuesday night. She was only 43 years old. Very much too young.

Holly Killion Obituary

MjL

#28 Click this link to see Blog page --> 05/08/2015

#Obituary

Mr. Harmon Obituary

I was looking through the obituaries as I do almost every morning and I saw the name and picture of one of my junior high school teachers. I was brought short by the fact he was only about 14 years older than I am —— which means he was in his late 20s when he was my teacher. About the same age as my oldest son. I can remember thinking when he was my teacher that the guy was so old. Time and perspective I guess. Both change so fast.

MjL

#29 Click this link to see Blog page --> 03/20/2016

#Obituary
Dave was our benefits representative at the union for many years. He recently died after a long battle with cancer.

Obituary for Dave Durbin

MjL

#30 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/06/2016

#Obituary
John Hessling was one of my Boy Scout leaders nearly 50 years ago. His obituary is in the Journal Star today.

MjL

#31 Click this link to see Blog page --> 04/22/2017

Jim Fisher Obituary
Rest in Peace Jim, you are missed.
#Obituary

MjL

#32 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/14/2017

#Obituary
A good family friend passed away recently. Glen Wood and his family lived down the street from us. His son Tom is one of my oldest friends. Glen was one my scoutmasters and I have many fond memories of his dry wit and humor.

Glen passed at the age of 88 with his family beside him. Obituary

MjL

#33 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/17/2017

#Obituary
I had mentioned a while past that a good family friend, Glen Wood, had passed away. Just a few days later his wife, Francis, has followed him. There will be a double mass and funeral.

Glen Wood

Francis Wood

MjL

#34 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/30/2017

#Obituary
I saw the obituary for Larry Clutts this morning. He was my barber for many years while we lived in Marquette Hts.

MjL

#35 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/16/2017

#Obituary
My brother Alan also came for a bit. He and Gloria had planned to be on a short vacation but had to delay it some due to the passing of his very close friend Jeff Higginson. I didn’t know Jeff very well at all but understand he was a good man.

MjL

#36 Click this link to see Blog page --> 09/22/2017

I usually check on the obituaries every day. I understand when a famous person dies the local news might announce that, but I really don’t understand the local hometown #Obituary column including total strangers on the page just because they had a lot of money. Most of us don’t know anything about these people, don’t really want to know anything about them and really couldn’t care less about them.

Is it necessary for the media to pay inordinate homage to dead rich people? Would the media world ostracize them if they didn’t publicize the death of every billionaire? Especially when us little people have to pay to get a decent obituary written that appears for more than one day in the paper?

MjL

#37 Click this link to see Blog page --> 10/03/2017

I was reading a comment on social media. Somebody was posting praise about another person. It was all very nice and complimentary and after a couple sentences my inner voice said, “Gosh, this guy must be dead.”

That seemed to ring a bit hollow and critical as I continued to read and at the very end was a link to the person’s #Obituary. I felt a bit aghast that my inner self had somehow jumped to that conclusion and then turned out to be right.

I think I should say nice things about people before they are dead but it seems difficult to do. Nice things. Why is it so hard to say nice things? I think I shall think and ponder those two words and see if I can find a way to say them more often.

MjL

#38 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/16/2017

#Obituary
I worked alongside Cal for many years at CAT. The paint booth was right next to the big boring mill I ran at the back of Bldg. K at the Tech. Center. Cal was a lot of fun to be around and had a hell of a sense of humor. I’m sorry to see him go. Obituary

MjL

#39 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/19/2018

#Obituary
I see that Lanny Beecham died. I can still picture him behind the meat counter at his market —— cutting the best sirloin steak I’ve ever eaten.

Obituary

MjL

#40 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/23/2018

I saw a familiar name in the #Obituary column. I remember Butch McClellan as the guy who collected our trash. I didn’t know him well but I know he was a good guy.

Obituary

The link above triggered a vivid memory for me. Not only of #ButchMcClellan emptying a garbage can into his truck, but also of just how filthy the job was back in the 60s. We didn’t have plastic garbage bags back then.

I can remember taking the trash out to the can. It was usually in a soggy brown sack from the grocery store. Smelly and soaked with grease or whatever. All that was just dumped into a beat up metal can with a lid that didn’t fit very well.

The picture of Butch standing at the curb wearing a one piece blue jump suit with a zipper up the front. All stained and stinky with dark sweat stains under the arms and down his back. He usually had a grin from ear to ear and a few dirty smudges on his face as he handed the empty can back to me. And he wore big thick gloves. The kind with the heavy cuff that came up over his sleeves.

The truck left a small trail of drippings down the road as it went from house to house. And usually a larger puddle when Butch engaged the compactor to squeeze out all that juicy guck in the garbage.

MjL

#41 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/06/2018

Steve Mitchell has died of pancreatic cancer. He was the best Health and Safety chairman ever and a very good person. I worked with Steve for years and he will be missed. #Obituary

Obituary

MjL

#42 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/07/2018

I am a Curmudgeon. I’m not given to glowing praise and I don’t usually do this, but —— A good man recently passed and I share his #Obituary. There is a lot written about his accomplishments and yet it still does not convey the Steve I know. A good man. Not just a good union man, or a good teacher, or a good father. A good man. If you met him without any knowledge or praise from others you would instantly know he is one of the good guys. Steve Mitchell will be missed. There has been an update to Steve Mitchell’s obituary. I was disappointed yesterday but this update is the Steve I know.

MjL

#43 Click this link to see Blog page --> 04/30/2019

#Obituary #Scouting
Paul Mitchell was my Scoutmaster 50 years ago. I learned so much from him and not just about how to tie knots, start a fire or go camping. I learned a lot about what it means to be a man.

Obituary

MjL

#44 Click this link to see Blog page --> 05/25/2019

#Obituary
My junior high English teacher has passed away. Mrs. Calhoun was a good teacher and one of the very few that I visited long after I left school. Her daughter, Roberta, is still a friend.

Obituary

MjL

#45 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/10/2019

#Obituary
The mother of one of my best friends passed recently.
She was always kind to me. She will be missed.

Obituary

MjL

#46 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/17/2019

#Obituary
My brother-in-law, Rob Sommer, passed away while we were on vacation. He was married to my sister Rhonda. Obituary

MjL

#47 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/18/2019

#Obituary
My brother Alan sent an email to tell me the General Manager for Kerasotes Theaters has died. He was the big boss when we worked at the drive-in at N. Pekin. I had to negotiate with him to get better pay for mowing the grass.
Frank Larkin

MjL

#48 Click this link to see Blog page --> 02/26/2020

#Obituary
Brad Strickfaden passed away very recently. I didn’t know him well but he was a friend of my brother Alan’s. Obituary

MjL

#49 Click this link to see Blog page --> 06/28/2020

#Obituary
During my daily trek through the obituary page I ran across two familiar names. Larry Elms, I worked with him the CAT E. Peoria Tool Room almost 40 years ago - And Rick Dixon, I went to high school with him. I didn’t know either very well but well enough to regret their passing.

As I grow older it is disconcerting how many I recognize lately.

MjL

#50 Click this link to see Blog page --> 07/19/2020

#Obituary
I happened across the obituary of my former #Dentist, Dr. David Danner. He was a fun guy with a great sense of humor and a pretty good dentist too. I left the practice when his son took over.

MjL

#51 Click this link to see Blog page --> 09/17/2021

#Obituary
Earl Rasberry was the father of school friend and an assistant scoutmaster for a while.

Obituary

MjL

#52 Click this link to see Blog page --> 10/02/2021

#Obituary

Obituary for Mary Catherine Neal

MjL

#53 Click this link to see Blog page --> 09/08/2022

#Obituary
Terry Keedy passed away. I went to junior high school with Terry and we were friends. We saw each other frequently for a few years until he moved to southern Illinois.

Obituary

MjL

#54 Click this link to see Blog page --> 10/18/2022

#Obituary

Tracey’s Aunt Martha died last week.
Obituary

MjL

#55 Click this link to see Blog page --> 05/07/2023

Obituary:
Richard Carver, ex-mayor of Peoria.

#Obituary

MjL

#56 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/18/2023

#Obituary
I was sad to see the obituary of Joseph Matheny.
He is the father of Kiefer, a good friend.
Joseph Matheny Obit

MjL

#57 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/19/2023

My brother Alan emailed me the notice that our old neighbor Rich Little had passed. Rich was my age and his family lived one block behind our house in Marquette Heights. We were never very close but we knew each other pretty well due to our proximity. #Obituary

Obituary

MjL

#58 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/12/2023

#Obituary
The appliance guy Bill Benson has died. We did a lot of business with him over the years and never a bad word to say. We continue to shop there now with his son, Scott, running the business. I’ll always remember Scott as the little kid popping up out of a washing machine in the TV commercial. Obituary

MjL

#59 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/14/2023

#Obituary
I see that Bob Beenders, a foreman I had to deal with at #Caterpillar has passed away. He was the foreman in the machine programming office. A bit pompous and not nearly as smart as he thought he was, but in all not a really bad guy. Obituary

MjL

#60 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/15/2023

#Obituary
Our neighbor when we lived in the #TremontHouse has passed. Mary Krumholz was a good neighbor. Obituary

MjL

#61 Click this link to see Blog page --> 12/16/2023

#Obituary
George Beres was the owner of a car dealership in Pekin where I bought a couple different cars over the years. I only met him once and he seemed kind and personable. Obituary

MjL

#62 Click this link to see Blog page --> 01/24/2024

#Obituary
John Shallenberger was active in the union and I always thought of him as a good union man. My thoughts go out to his wife and family.
Obituary

MjL

#63 Click this link to see Blog page --> 01/27/2024

#Obituary
This one really hits close to home. Jerry Brown was the President our UAW Local 974 union. I spent many hours with Jerry over the long years of our labor struggle. He will truly be missed.
Obituary

MjL

#64 Click this link to see Blog page --> 02/15/2024


#Obituary for Gerald Neal

MjL

#65 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/14/2024

#Obituary
Joe Hranka and his brothers delivered the evening papers in Marquette Hts. most of the years that I delivered the morning papers. We had a friendly rivalry for customers. Joe Hranka

MjL

#66 Click this link to see Blog page --> 02/07/2025

#Obituary
I met Ken Moss at Caterpillar in 1975 while I was an apprentice. Coincidentally he lived across the street and two houses up from my first house in Pekin. I drank a lot of beer and smoked a lot of dope with Ken during the five years I lived there. He was a great guy. Obituary

MjL

#67 Click this link to see Blog page --> 10/13/2025

#Obituary
I worked with Ralph many years at CAT and he was an ardent union supporter as well as simply a great person and friend. I wish I had stayed in touch more after we retired. Ralph Robb Obituary

MjL

#68 Click this link to see Blog page --> 02/07/2026

#Obituary
Riggs “Rick” Corbin

MjL

#69 Click this link to see Blog page --> 04/25/2026

#Obituary
Virgil Krumholz was our neighbor to the north in Tremont for almost thirty years. He was a good neighbor, even though we rarely spoke. We each minded our own business and yet were there when needed.

MjL