Sunday, April 29, 2012

Beryl Irwin celebrates 98th birthday!


PIPER CITY — Beryl Irwin of Courtyard Estates, Piper City, will celebrate her 98th birthday with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the dining room of Courtyard Estates, 600 S. Maple, Piper City, and with a family dinner in her honor.
She was born May 1, 1914, in rural Cropsey, the daughter of George and Alta Thomas. She married Milford “Milt” Irwin on Dec. 25, 1937. They farmed south of Chatsworth for many years. He died March 1, 2010.
Her children are Kay (Harold) Lindley, Morton; Bette Jane (Bruce) Otto, Minier; Alan (Kathy) Irwin, Graham, N.C.; Bill (Diane) Irwin, Oregon, Ill.; Gary (Sue) Irwin, Galion, Ohio; and Colleen (Jim) Browning, Hudson. She has 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
She attended Illinois State Normal University and taught at Miller School from 1933 to 1936. She worked at the Chatsworth Post Office for 16 years.
She is a member of Chatsworth United Methodist Church, where she was active in United Methodist Women, Bible study, church bazaar, adult choir and directed children’s choir.
She was in the Home Extension and Kitchen Band, and is in Germanville Club.
She enjoys reading, playing piano and playing cards and other games.
Cards may be sent to P.O. Box 68, Piper City, IL 60959.

Note: See photo here.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Obit of Frank B. Kuntz

Morris: Mr. Frank B. Kuntz, 102, of Monticello, Ill., and formerly of Strawn, Chatsworth, Morris, and Urbana, Ill., passed away peacefully at 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 20, 2012, at the Piatt County Nursing Home in Monticello, Ill.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the United Methodist Church of Chatsworth, 510 South 4th Street, Chatsworth, with Pastor David Reynolds officiating. A visitation will be held from 11a.m. until the hour of the service Saturday at the church. Burial will be in Chatsworth Cemetery.
Mr. Kuntz was born Dec. 14, 1909, on a farm west of Sibley, Ill., a son of Albert M.and Selma E. (Schroen) Kuntz. He married Leona Marie Falck on Oct. 16, 1937, in Paxton, Ill. She passed away on Oct. 29, 1999.
His surviving children are James (Rolande) Kuntz of Newark, Ill., Gary (Judy) Kuntz of Morris, Ill., Jane (Anthony) Trotto of Wood Dale, Ill., and Janice (Ted) Gill of Monticello, Ill. His son David (Sally) Kuntz of Glen Ellyn, Ill., passed away Jan. 15, 2005.
He has 12 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren who also survive.
Besides his wife and son, he was preceded in death by his parents, four sisters, and three brothers.
Mr. Kuntz received a B.S. in Education in 1933 and M.Ed. in 1952 from the University of Illinois. He taught and coached in elementary schools and high schools in Thawville, Chatsworth, and Morris, Ill., until June 1972, when he retired to Urbana.
He served as a Major in the United States Army from 1941 until 1946, including in the European Theatre during WWII for 39 months. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army Reserve in 1969.
He was a life member of the Walter Clemons American Legion Post 613 in Chatsworth, American Legion Post 294 in Morris, and the Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 630 in Urbana. He was a member of the University of Illinois Alumni Association, Exchange Club of Urbana, Champaign County Retired Teachers Association, Chatsworth Masonic Lodge 539, and Bloomington Consistory.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Urbana. He enjoyed gardening, reading, bird watching and sports, especially the Illini and Cubs. He never saw the Cubs win a World Series. He was a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and will be dearly missed.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Obit of Sister Josette Rotering

Sister Josette Rotering
Born: March 5, 1926
Died: March 3, 2012
Sister Josette was born on the family farm in Buffalo County between Arcadia and Waumandee, Wisconsin, on March 5, 1926. She was named Marcella and was the fourth of eight children born to Joseph and Gertrude Rotering. One brother, Joseph, died as an infant and her brother Jerome died on November 15, 1998. Three sisters, Bernetta Haines, Marian Cavanaugh, Florence Nelson, and two brothers, Mathias and Sylvester, are still living.
Marcella attended St. Boniface School in Waumandee for all eight grades. The family lived five miles from St. Boniface. Catholic education was important and sacrifices were made so they could receive a Catholic education. And so when Jerome was in fourth grade, Bernetta in eighth grade, and Marcella in first grade, Papa Rotering purchased a horse that was small in stature and gentle with children, to be hitched to a top-buggy the family had to transport the students to St. Boniface. A small shed in Waumandee was rented to house the horse until it was time to go back home. The horse was fed hay in the morning upon arrival at school and at noon she was given a bag of oats and a drink of water. Then, after school, it was the five-mile trek back home.
Marcella was a good student. She liked school and loved music. The family had a piano which her mother and older sister played. She was fascinated at how her mother’s fingers would fly over the keys and wanted to learn to play herself. She was allowed to take lessons while in the eighth grade.
When Marcella graduated from eighth grade in May of 1940, she began preparations to enter St. Joseph Convent. On August 27 of that year, Sister Leonard, who was Marcella’s eighth grade teacher, accompanied her to Milwaukee on the train. They arrived about 6.30 that evening. The next day was cry day all day long, from before breakfast right straight through until bedtime. That, however, was the end of the tears, until the first visiting Sunday in October. As her parents were getting ready to leave, the floodgates opened once again. Her mother looked at her and said, “Do you want to come along home with us?” Through her tears, Marcella answered “No-o-o.” Several weeks later, after that crying episode, Marcella was walking down the first floor corridor and suddenly a strong feeling came over her saying, “You are here to stay.” That was it! On June 13, 1943, Marcella was received as a School Sister of St. Francis and given the name of Sister Josette.
Sister Josette continued her music education along with her college classes and received her degree in music. Her ministry began early. In her senior year of college, she was sent to Frankenstein, Missouri, to replace a sister who had become ill. Since Josette was a teacher-organist, and that ministry included teaching grades one, two and three and a two-week period to practice and prepare the choir for all the Holy Week services and for Easter. The other sisters were very supportive and gave her much help. Without them, Sister said she would not have lived to tell the story. From there she went to Germantown, Wisconsin, for 12 years. Josette spent some years in Aurora, Illinois, and Chatsworth, Illinois, where she served as teacher, organist, choir director, and sacristan.
When the Catholic School in Chatsworth was closed due to declining enrollment, Josette chose to stay there and helped in the neighboring parishes with the teaching of religion. Sister ministered there for 31 years.
In 1992, Sister came to Milwaukee, to Marian Hall, to be a driver for the sisters needing transportation. She was available to anyone who needed a ride. She continued her ministry of driving at the Motherhouse in 2002. In 2006 Sister Josette’s health was declining and she needed more care so she began her residence at Sacred Heart Convent where she began her ministry of prayer and presence.
Sister remained close to her family, spending vacation time with them whenever she could. She always kept in close touch with her many nieces and nephews, and with her grand nieces and nephews, as well as her many cousins. She could always be counted on to be a powerhouse of prayer when needed.
We will always remember Sister Josettes’s feisty spirit, great sense of humor, warm smile and beautiful brown eyes that were bright and alert to everything and everyone around. Her fierce determination was evident in the last month of her life after hip surgery when she struggled to return to her former self.
God had other plans for Josette. He called her home on March 3 and we know that she has now joined the choirs of angels enjoying and sharing the music that was so much a part of her life from little on.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Obit of Perry Virkler

Perry Lee Virkler, 79, Fairbury, died at 9:30am Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at his residence in Fairbury.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, April 7, 2012 at the Apostolic Christian Church, Fairbury with ministers of the church officiating. Burial will be in the Fairbury Apostolic Christian Cemetery. Visitation will be 3:00 to 7:00 pm Friday at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury and 9:00 to 9:45 am Saturday at the church. The family suggests memorials be given to the Apostolic Christian Church, Minneapolis, MN; Fairview Haven Nursing Home, Fairbury, IL; Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Steel County, MN; Owatonna Area Hospice, Owatonna, MN.
Mr. Virkler was born June 4, 1932 in Forrest, IL the son of Elmer and Vivian Beagle Virkler. He married Carol S. Zehr on September 7, 1958 in Forrest, IL. She survives in Fairbury, IL.
Other survivors include one son, Eric Virkler, Colorado Springs, CO, one daughter, Lori (Nick) Stadeli, Salem, OR, nine grandchildren, Nicole, Amanda, and Adam Virkler, Trever, Kiersten, Malinda, Kassandra, Miranda & Trent Stadeli; two sisters, Bonnie Price, Eagle River, WI, Brenda Muench, Jefferson City, MO, and many nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by two brothers, Jim Virkler and John Farrell.
Mr. Virkler was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church. He farmed at Chatsworth, IL (1952-1972) and was in management at Nichols-Homeshield, Chatsworth (1955-1972), Amsco in Rice Lake, WI (1972-1983) and Truth Hardware, Owatonna, MN (1983-1998) where he retired. In October of 2011 he and his wife, Carol moved to Fairbury, IL.
In his younger years, Perry enjoyed fishing and hunting. He also enjoyed flower gardening, nature and especially spending time with his children, grandchildren and church family and friends.