Obituaries

May 7, 2018

St. Anne, Illinois - Rebecca L. (Becky) McComb, 65, loving wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, died on May 7, 2018 at her home, after a six-month battle with fast-progressing ALS.

A Memorial Service will be held at 12:30 pm Saturday, May 12, 2018 at Baskerville Funeral Home, 700 East Kahler Road, Wilmington, Illinois.  Her family...

May 6, 2018

Homer Boling

"Peanut"

Age 36 of Bowling Green, Kentucky, formerly Joliet, passed away Sunday May 6, 2018 at his residence.

Born July 15, 1981 in Maryville, Tennessee, Homer Glenn, Jr. is a son of Cheryl Cuff Moore and the late Homer G. Boling, Sr. He was raised and educated in Joliet, and attended...

May 1, 2018

Gerald Ruder

“Jerry”

Age 94 of Wilmington, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at his home.

Born October 23, 1923 in Herscher, Illinois, Gerald Raymond was a son of Edwin and Alice (Fritz) Ruder. From an early age, Jerry excelled in academics and after skipping a couple grades, graduated with the...

Apr 29, 2018

Mary Szlak

Age 91 of Surprise, Arizona and formerly of Wilmington, passed away Sunday morning, April 29, 2018 at Peoria Care Center in Peoria, Arizona.

Born March 6, 1927 in Webster, South Dakota, Mary Ellen was the youngest of ten and a daughter of Edward and Mary (Breske) Tracy. She was raised and educated in...

Apr 29, 2018

Robert E. McConnell, Jr.

"Bob"

Age 74 of Goose Lake passed away Sunday April 29, 2018 in his home after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born April 6, 1944 in LaSalle, Robert was a son of Robert and Jane (Bildhauer) McConnell. He married Jean Panneck on June 1, 1968 at Saint Mary's...

Apr 25, 2018

Jerry W. Hale

Age 86 of Morris, formerly Chicago, Lemont and Naples, Florida, passed away Wednesday April 25, 2018 at his home.

Born March 6, 1932 in Chicago, Jerry Walter was a son of Earl and Eleanore (nee Olszewski) Hale. He was raised and educated in Chicago, and graduated from Bowen High School. Following High...

Apr 23, 2018

Terry Mayfield

Age 58 of Wilmington, passed away Monday, April 23, 2018 at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Born September 22, 1959 in Joliet, Terrence L. was a son of Jack and Emma (Anderson) Mayfield. He was raised and educated in Wilmington and graduated from Wilmington High School with the class of 1977. Terry...

Apr 23, 2018

William Travis McDowell

Age 71 of Lockport and formerly of Wilmington and Hartselle, Alabama passed away Monday, April 23, 2018 at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.

Born January 28, 1947 in Haleyville, Alabama, William Travis was a son of William C. and Dorothy Mae (Loyd) McDowell. He was raised and educated in Wilmington and...

Apr 22, 2018

Kenneth Max Cullums

Age 81 of Coal City, passed away Sunday evening, April 22, 2018 at the Joliet Area Community Hospice Home.

Born October 18, 1936 in Newton, Illinois, Kenneth Max was a son of Charles Edgar and Winifred (Rodgers) Cullums. He was raised and educated in Gardner, and on February 20, 1955, Max married...

Apr 21, 2018

James Besch, Jr.

Age 24 of Joliet and formerly of Plainfield, passed away Saturday, April 21, 2018 at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

Born February 17, 1994 in Joliet, James Adam is the son of James Besch, Sr. and Anita (nee Gray) Besch. He was raised and educated in Plainfield and graduated from...

Apr 21, 2018

Jimmy Ray Kerr

Age 38 of Coal City, passed away Saturday morning, April 21, 2018 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Born April 9, 1980 in Berwyn, Illinois, Jimmy Ray is a son of James and Teresa (Virella) Kerr of Diamond. He was raised in Cicero and attended Coal City High School.

Jimmy...

Apr 21, 2018

Dave Thomas

Age 67 of Wilmington, passed away Saturday morning, April 21, 2018 at his home.

Born February 24, 1951 in Mattoon, Illinois, John David was a son of John Dewey and Elsie Eleanor (Worland) Thomas. He was raised in Wilmington and graduated from Wilmington High School with the Class of 1969. Dave entered into...

Apr 20, 2018

Christian Resler

Age 93 of Morris, passed away Friday morning April 20, 2018 at Park Pointe in Morris.

Born July 30, 1924 in Lampman, Saskatchewan, Canada, Christian was a son of Emmanuel and Marian (Berger) Resler. He was raised and educated in Canada, and on December 28, 1957, Christian married Joan Planeta in Assumption Catholic...

Apr 19, 2018

Charles “Bud” Bullock

Age 92 of Wilmington, passed away Thursday, April 19, 2018 at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, Illinois.

Born December 5, 1925 in Boonville, Indiana, Charles Clayton was a son of Gerald and Laura (Cissna) Bullock. He was raised and educated in Wilmington and graduated from Wilmington High School with the Class of...

Apr 17, 2018

Brenda S. Kilgore

Age 60 of Gardner passed away Tuesday April 17, 2018 at Heritage Health in Dwight.

Born May 5, 1957 in Kingsport, Tennessee, Brenda Sue was a daughter of Vernon and Orie (nee Lane) Kilgore. She was raised and educated in Kingsport, until her family relocated to Illinois. Brenda was employed as a...

Apr 16, 2018

Mary Whitis

Age 69 of Herscher and formerly of Morris, passed away Monday evening, April 16, 2018 at her home.

Born February 17, 1949 in Wyatt, Missouri, Mary Ann was a daughter of Willie and Pearlie (Crawford) Abernatha. She was raised in Kentucky and lived with her family in Morris for many years before moving...

Apr 16, 2018

Randy Andrews

Age 59 of Wilmington, passed away Monday evening, April 16, 2018 at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee.

Born August 22, 1958 in Joliet, Illinois, Randy was a son of Noal Allison and Johnnie Helen (Phifer) Andrews. He was raised in Wilmington and graduated from Wilmington High School with the Class of 1976. He...

Apr 11, 2018

Charles H. Staples

“Chuck”

Age 89 of Wilmington passed away Wednesday April 11, 2018 at his home.

Born September 17, 1928 in Rock Falls, Illinois, Charles Henry was a son of Harry and Florence (DeMay) Staples. He was raised and educated in Sterling, Illinois, and then enlisted in the United States Navy, serving...

Apr 11, 2018

John Robert Phillips, Jr.

Age 62 of Coal City, passed away Wednesday April 11, 2018 at St. Margaret’s Health Care Center in Spring Valley, Illinois.

Born July 22, 1955 in Joliet, Illinois, John Robert was a son of John Robert, Sr. "Jack" and Phyllis Jean (Johnson) Phillips. He was raised in Coal City and graduated...

Apr 10, 2018

Marian L. Prosser

Age 95 of Wilmington, passed away Tuesday evening, April 10, 2018 at Rock Run Place Assisted Living in Joliet, Illinois.

Born October 6, 1922 in Peotone, Illinois, Marian Louise was a daughter of John Patrick and Amelia (Reitz) Whalen. She was raised on a farm during the depression, and educated in a...