All Obituaries

Geraldine L. Watson, 92, of El Paso passed away at 1:50 p.m. on Sunday, April 11, 2021 at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington. Geraldine was born on December 7, 1928 in Galva, IL to Henry and Clara Pearl Casseday Watson. She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Shirley. Geraldine never married, but was a loving aunt to her nieces and nephews, including greats and great-greats. Geraldine worked for JC Penney and the Galesburg Clerical Department for 27 years. She...

Adele L. Stalter, 99, of Minonk passed away at 5:55 a.m. on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at her residence with her family at her side. Adele was born April 22, 1921 in Minonk, a daughter of Roy and Hattie Jury Dovey. She married Elmer L. Stalter, Jr., on August 12, 1942 in Minonk. He died October 18, 1997. Survivors include her sons, David C. and Larry D. Stalter, both of Minonk; a daughter, Susan M. Powers of Kildeer; and four grandchildren, Brian (Heather) Flanigan of Minooka, Beth (Brian)...

Nola (Gramm) Schrock of Normal went to be with Jesus on April 4, 2021 at her home in Normal. Nola was born in Hancock, MN, on November 19, 1931, the 13th of 17 children of John and Eliza (Metzger) Schmidgall. Nola graduated from Hancock High School in 1949. She later went on to earn her bachelors from Western Illinois University. Nola married Robert Gramm of Gridley on June 12, 1955 (d. April 1997). She married Mel Schrock of Elgin, IL, in May 1999. He survives. Nola is survived by her two...

Gary Hocker, 74, of El Paso, passed away at 9:12 p.m. on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington. Gary was born January 24, 1947 in Bloomington to Robert E. and Marguerite Jones Hocker. Survivors include one son, Gregory (K Lynn) Hocker of Houston TX; one daughter, Kari (John) Weirath of Grand Junction, CO; one sister, Nancy (Stephen) Jeffreys of Normal; and two grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents. Gary graduated from El Paso High School...

LaVerne A. Ruestman 84 of Minonk passed away at 2:10 p.m. on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at Crossroads Care Center, Fond du Lac, WI. Graveside services with military honors will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, March 29, 2021 at Minonk Township Cemetery. Rev. Ed Sinclair will officiate. Visitation will be on Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Ruestman Harris Funeral Home, Minonk. Social distancing and COVID guidelines will be observed.  Vern was born May 7, 1936 at...

Ronald G. Upts, 83, of Minonk, IL passed away at 4:29 p.m. on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at his residence. He was born on November 13, 1937 in Streator, IL. Survivors include one son, Michael (Bonita) Upts of Minonk; four grandchildren, Tara (Jarrod) Massie of St. Charles, MO; Misty (John) Hartley of Pontiac; Jenna Upts of Pekin; Cody Upts of Bloomington; 14 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents. Ronald farmed in the Minonk area all of his life and raised cattle on...

Lottie M. Wickiser, 93, passed away on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 10:01 p.m. at Sugar Creek in Normal, IL.  She was born on May 26, 1927 to Stanley and Catherine Tarasek Mikulski in Georgetown, IL. Lottie was first blessed in marriage to James Tabor in 1951 in Georgetown, IL, until he passed in 1960. In 1963, she remarried Duane Wickiser in Greenup, IL, who shared her life until he passed in 2008.  Surviving are two daughters, Barbara (Gary) Rutledge of Hudson, IL, and Jo (Bobby)...

H. Mardelle Sturm, 80, of Bloomington, IL passed away at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal. She was born on June 29, 1940 in Fairbury, IL a daughter of Glenn and Fern Cline Farney. Survivors include her sons, Greg (Angie) Sturm of Bloomington; Scott (Alvena) Sturm of Washburn; Steve (Julie) Sturm of Bloomington; two sisters, Helen (Gary) Bell of Henderson, KY; Sharon (Bob) Simmons of Lake Havasu City, AZ; three grandchildren, Kiley Sturm,...

Howard Lee Cremer, 74, of Minonk, IL and resident of Castle Peak Senior Life Center, Eagle, CO, passed away on February 28, 2021.  Howard was born February 10, 1947, in Pontiac, IL, the son of Harm Uden and Marie (Orns) Cremer.  He married Donna Marie Hassinger October 26, 1969 in Flanagan, IL.  She survives. Mr. Cremer joined the United States Army after graduating from Minonk High School in 1965.  He served from 1966 to 1968 and was a proud veteran of the Vietnam...

William Todd "Hank" Leslie, 67, El Paso, IL died at 3pm on Sunday, February 28, 2021 at El Paso Health Care Center. Cremation rites were accorded. A private graveside service will be held at a later date. Ruestman-Harris Funeral Home of El Paso and Calvert-Martin Funeral Home of Pontiac are in care of the arrangements. William was born August 24,1953, in Chicago, a son of Charles William and Laura Mae (Kentfield) Leslie. Survivors include his mother, Laura Leslie, one brother,...