Obituaries

Mar 10, 2018

Dorothy June Puracchio

Age 90 of Wilmington and formerly of Joliet, passed away Saturday, March 10, 2018 at home.

Born March 28, 1927 in Joliet, Dorothy June was the daughter of Elmer and Myrtle (nee Peterson) Swanke. She was raised and educated in Joliet and graduated from Joliet Township High School with the class of...

Mar 9, 2018

Michael T. Smith

Age 57 of Coal City, passed away Friday, March 9, 2018 at his home.

Born December 4, 1960 in Joliet, Michael Thomas is a son of Sharleen (nee Perona) Smith of Coal City and the late James Smith. He was raised in Coal City and graduated with the Coal City High School...

Mar 9, 2018

Martha A. Squellati

(nee Gallagher)

Age 69 of Wilmington passed away Friday March 9, 2018 at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

Born June 24, 1948 in Morgantown, West Virginia, Martha Alice is the daughter of Mary Bittaker and the late Lawrence Gallagher. She was raised and educated in Wilmington, and graduated...

Mar 9, 2018

Joseph G. Martyka

Age 82 of Wilmington and formerly of Chicago, passed away Friday evening, March 9, 2018 at Our Lady of Angels in Joliet.

Born January 23, 1936 in Chicago, Joseph George was a son of George and Sophie (nee Krzysiak) Martyka. He was raised and educated in the “back of the yards” of...

Mar 6, 2018

Melinda Cortez-Cullen

Age 38 of Coal City, along with her son Jaxson Cash Cullen, passed away tragically Tuesday March 6, 2018 as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

Born January 1, 1980, Melinda is the daughter of Roberto and Teresa (Valdez) Cortez of Diamond. She was raised and educated in Coal...

Mar 5, 2018

Grace F. Hatch

Age 84 of Braidwood, passed away Monday afternoon, March 5, 2018 at Morris Hospital.

Born May 6, 1933 in Braceville, Illinois, Grace Frances was a daughter of Louis and Frances (Feltenz) Buffo. She was raised on the family farm and graduated from Gardner-South Wilmington High School with the Class of 1951. Following...

Mar 4, 2018

Ralph E. Sims

Age 63 of Wilmington, passed away Sunday morning March 4, 2018 at Loyola University Foster G. McGaw Medical Center in Maywood.

Born July 14, 1954 in Kankakee, Ralph Edward was a son of Permenus Benjamin “Ben” and Dorothy Mae (Johnson) Sims. He was raised in Bradley and graduated from Bradley Bourbonnais Community...

Mar 4, 2018

Sharon A. Gresham

Age 78 of Wilmington, passed away Sunday morning, March 4, 2018 at The Timbers of Shorewood.

Born August 25, 1939 in Cabery, Illinois, Sharon Ann was a daughter of the late Donald Trost and Julia Ann Correct-Trost. She was raised in Kankakee and graduated from Kankakee High School with the Class of...

Feb 26, 2018

Ida M. Nelson

Age 76 of Braidwood, passed away Monday morning, February 26, 2018 at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

Born September 4, 1941, in Cundiff, Kentucky, Ida Mae was raised in Adair County, by her mother Mary Helm.

As she grew older, Ida became a woman of vast interests who...

Feb 22, 2018

Ron “Dirty” Stefick

Age 68 of Wilmington, and formerly of Chicago, passed away Thursday February 22, 2018 at his home.

Born March 29, 1949 in Oak Park, Illinois. Ron was a son of George and Mildred (nee Karel) Stefick. He was raised and educated in Chicago, and went on to enter into the United States...

Feb 21, 2018

Joe Craterfield

Age 65 of Wilmington passed away Wednesday February 21, 2018 at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee.

Born August 12, 1952 in Joliet, Joseph Earl, Jr. was a son of Joseph, Sr. and Reida (nee Willis) Craterfield. He was raised and educated in Wilmington, and graduated from Wilmington High School with the Class of...

Feb 21, 2018

Tina L. Tarman

Age 59 of Coal City, passed away Wednesday morning, February 21, 2018 at her home.

Born December 24, 1958 in Branson, Missouri, Tina Louise is a daughter of Vera (nee White) McQueary of Grove, Oklahoma and the late Gene McQueary. She was a graduate of Coal City High School with the Class...

Feb 18, 2018

John A. Breen

Age 73 of Rockdale passed away Sunday February 18, 2018 at Rosewood Care Center of Joliet.

Born January 5, 1945 in Joliet, John Arthur was a son of John and Alice (nee Puhek) Breen. He was raised and educated in Joliet, and on December 16, 1965, John married Marion Hottenstein in Baltimore,...

Feb 15, 2018

Constance B. Donovan

“Connie”

Age 93 and a lifelong resident of Morris, passed away Thursday morning, February 15, 2018 at Park Pointe Healthcare in Morris.

Born May 11, 1924 in Morris, Constance Bernice was a daughter of Peter and Teresa (Stanonis) Kopczick. She was a graduate of Morris Community High School with the...

Feb 15, 2018

Marsha Elaine Dudek

(nee Dempsey)

Age 67 of Wilmington and formerly of Lockport, passed away Thursday February 15, 2018 at her home.

Born March 21, 1950 in Harrisburg, Illinois, Marsha was the daughter of Billy Ray and Della Rae (Beal) Dempsey. She was raised and educated in Lockport and most recently worked as...

Feb 13, 2018

Maria Wlodarczyk

Age 85 of Joliet, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday morning, February 13, 2018 at Regency Care of Morris.

Born May 29, 1932 in Yugoslavia, Maria was a daughter of Joseph and Barbara (Klaus) Nickl. She was raised and educated in Yugoslavia before immigrating to the United States. Maria worked for...

Feb 12, 2018

Timmy Layne Nowman, Sr.

“Buck”

Age 52 of Wilmington, passed away Monday, February 12, 2018 surrounded by his family at home.

Born March 21, 1965 in Joliet, Timmy Layne was a son of Harold and Alberta (nee Williams) Nowman. He was raised and educated in Wilmington and went on to attend the Lincoln...

Feb 11, 2018

Anthony Szymanski, Jr.

Age 80 of Wilmington, passed away Sunday February 11, 2018 at his home. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Janet; his children: Tony, Doris (Brad), Joe (Fritz) and David (Lisa); his grandchildren Sarah, Samantha, Richard, Anthony, Timothy, Michael, Kelly and Emily; (8) great grandchildren.

Per his wishes, cremation rites have been...

Feb 7, 2018

Dorothy Marie Buchta

(nee Hermann)

Age 89 of Diamond, and formerly of Cicero and Brookfield, passed away Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at Morris Hospital.

Born March 1, 1928 in Cicero, Illinois, Dorothy Marie was a daughter of Nicholas and Olga (nee Kazda) Hermann. She was raised and educated in Cicero and graduated from...

Feb 5, 2018

George P. Stuba

Age 54 of Godley, formerly Chicago, passed away Monday February 5, 2018 at his home.

Born September 6, 1963 in Chicago, George Paul was a son of the late Conrad and Rosemary (nee Mills) Stuba. He was raised and educated in Chicago and attended John F. Kennedy High School. George was a...