Obit of Charles Leo Baysinger

CHATSWORTH — Charles “Chucky” Leo Baysinger, 45, Chatsworth, formerly of Forrest, passed away at 8:05 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 22, 2012) in Chatsworth Township from injuries sustained in an accident.
Services: 2 p.m. Monday, graveside service at Forrest Cemetery, Forrest.
Visitation: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Forrest United Methodist Church, Forrest, with a short celebration of life following.
Cremation rites have been accorded.
Memorials: to the family
Survivors: his mother, Margaret; and brothers, James (Sherry) Baysinger, Barlow Ky., and Gregory (Andrea) Baysinger, Centralia.
Hager Memorial Home, Dwight, is in charge of arrangements.

Obit of Frances E. (Shaughnessy) Schurr

Frances E. Schnurr
(July 8, 1920 - September 21, 2012)

Frances E. Schnurr, 92, of Piper City, IL., died on Friday, September 21, 2012 at 11:10 A.M. at McLean County Nursing Home in Normal, IL.. Her funeral mass will be on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. at St. Peter Catholic Church in Piper City. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Piper City. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M., Monday, September 24, 2012 at the Reilly-Redenius Funeral Home in Piper City. Recitation of the Rosary will be at 7:00 P.M. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or National Shrine of St. Jude.

Frances was born in Piper City on July 8, 1920 to John F. and Catherine (Molloy) Shaughnessy. Her childhood was spent in Piper City. She graduated from Piper City High School and attended Illinois State Normal University in Normal. She was a teacher and taught for 30 years. Frances was one of the last one-room school house teachers and continued teaching at Piper City Elementary School. Frances married Donald Lee Schnurr on June 15, 1943, in Piper City. He died on April 15, 2005. Surviving children are - Patricia (Donald) Kratz of Bloomington, IL. and Michael (Janice) Schnurr. Four grandchildren - Natalie (Brian) Sundquist, Chris (Marianne) Kratz, Tom (Rebecca) Schnurr and Jim (Michelle) Schnurr. Ten Great Grandchildren - Joe, Jeff, Caroline, Katherine, Kelsey, Trevor, Peyton, Noah, Gannon and Morgan. Frances was precede in death by her parents, husband, sister - Geneva Reilly and brother - Russell Shaughnessy.
Frances was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church in Piper City, IL. She was a member of the Retired Teacher Association of Ford and Iroquois County, Home Extension of Ford County, Junior Woman's Club and the Piper City Historical Society. She enjoyed traveling and reading. Arrangements by the Reilly-Redenius Funeral Home in Piper City, IL. Please sign the guest book at www.redeniusfuneralhomes.com

Note: Frances is the granddaughter of Mary and Thomas Shaughnessy, who owned The Chatsworth Bottling Company.

Obit of McKinley Renee Retter

Chatsworth- McKinley Renee Retter of Chatsworth went to heaven at 3:14 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

A visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012 at Calvert & Martin Funeral Home in Chatsworth. Cremation rites will be accorded following services.

McKinley was born September 6, 2012 a daughter of Dan and Kim (Franklin) Retter.

She leaves behind her parents of Chatsworth; three sisters: Samantha, Morgan, and Debra Retter all at home; paternal grandma: Joyce Ashcraft of Pontiac; paternal grandparents: Ray and Lanni Retter of Goshen, IN; one maternal great grandmother: Eunice Franklin of Dublin, GA; one aunt: Charisse (Will) Price of Chatsworth; one uncle: Jordan (Briana) Brown of Pontiac; and several cousins.

She joins in heaven her maternal grandparents: Gerald and Debra Franklin; and her paternal grandfather: Bill Ashcraft.

Obit of Elmer "Joe" Koestner

Founding director of Dayton Museum of Natural History passes away

By Steven Matthews

Staff Writer
DAYTON —September 8, 2012

Elmer “Joe” Koestner — the founding and longest-tenured director of the Dayton Museum of Natural History — died on Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla., at the age of 96.
Koestner served as director of the museum from 1954 to 1986, and upon retiring, was named Director Emeritus.
A private graveside service for family and friends is scheduled for Thursday in Florida, according to Kristy Creel, senior manager of marketing and public relations for the Dayton Society of Natural History. Lohman Funeral Home is handling the burial service.
“The impact of his legacy — as well as his memorable personality — on our community is obvious by the number of people who still ask about him,” said Mark Meister, President and CEO of the DSNH, in a statement. “The fact is that everything we do today to advance the work of the society is a continuation of what he started nearly 60 years ago.”
Formerly known as The Dayton Museum of Natural History, the museum changed to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in 1999 in recognition of Oscar Boonshoft.
Koestner joined the museum in 1949, when it was still part of the Dayton Public Library, and worked part-time as education director until 1954. He then left his job as a school teacher to become the museum’s director.
Koestner opened the Dayton Museum of Natural History on Ridge Avenue in 1958. He continued to teach museum classes, while overseeing the operations and development of the museum. Koestner also wrote a weekly column for the Dayton Daily News from 1954-60.
Jim MacMahon — the Dean of the College of Science at Utah State University — worked at the museum for nearly a decade starting in the mid-1950s while growing up in Dayton.
“He was very knowledgeable of plants and animals, and it rubbed off on me,” MacMahon said. “It set up my life. As a kid, I was interested in that stuff before I met him, but he helped me formalize it into a career that’s lasted this long.”
In 1970, Koestner received the Elsie D.B. Naumburg Award for outstanding museum professionals, and in 1986, he was presented with an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Dayton.
Born in Chatsworth, Ill., Koestner earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in zoology from the University of Illinois. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he came to Dayton in 1949 and taught science at Brookville High School.
“Joe was a wonderful human being, who inspired both kids and adults with his love of the natural sciences,” said William Patterson, a 50-plus year volunteer with the DSNH, in a release. “The museum was his whole life for many years, and I am not certain it would exist today if not for him.”
Memorial contributions can be made to the Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org.
Note: Elmer's father, Elmer J. Kostner was born in Piper City and died in Fairbury in 1959. His father was a major league baseball pitcher for 4 years and played for the Cubs, Red and Naps. Read about him here. Elmer "Joe" however was born in Chatsworth.

Obit of James A. Wilson

James A. Wilson, 97, of Chatsworth, IL passed away at 7:19 am on Monday, September 10, 2012 at Walnut Grove Assisted Living in Merrill, WI.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 15, 2012 at Calvert & Martin Funeral Home in Chatsworth, IL. Rev. of the Calvary Baptist Church will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the funeral home. Burial will follow services at Chatsworth Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Calvary Baptist Church.
James was born June 24, 1915 in Danforth, Illinois, a son of Albany and Louise (Schuenke) Wilson. He married Gladys Wilson on March 12, 1938 at the Lutheran Parsonage in Gilman, IL. She passed away on February 27, 2011.
He is survived by one son: Ron Wilson of Merrill, WI; four grandchildren: Jennifer (Dan) McClelland of Danville, KY; Kim (Dave) Quinn of Bloomington; Kerin (Jerry) Jones of Bloomington and Sarah (Mike) Dilley of Lee’s Summit, MO; eight great-grandchildren, Five great-great-grandchildren; one daughter-in-law: Sandy Wilson of Decatur; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; one son: James A. Wilson, Jr.; one great grandson; three sisters; and three brothers.
James had farmed, and been a carpenter before working for Livingstons of Chatsworth, in maintenance until retiring in 1982.
He enjoyed collecting, especially clocks that he would also repair. He enjoyed spending quality time in his workshop. He and his wife were avid garage salers.
James was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Chatsworth.

Obit of Archie T. Perkins

Archie Theodore Perkins, 100, of Cullom, IL passed away at 3:30 pm on September 3, 2012 at Fairview Haven Nursing Home in Fairbury.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, September 7, 2012 at First Baptist Church in Fairbury. Pastor Steve Anderson will officiate. Visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at Calvert & Martin Funeral Home in Forrest and from 9:00-9:45 am on Friday, prior to services at the church. Burial will follow services at Chatsworth Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Archie’s name may be made to First Baptist Church in Fairbury or Fairview Haven Nursing Home in Fairbury.
Archie was born June 26, 1912 in rural Chatsworth, IL a son of Elisha and Ida (Deck) Perkins. He married Myrtle Bailey on February 11, 1934 in Swinton, MO. She passed away on December 26, 2003.
Surviving is his son: Jim (Joanne) Perkins of Kempton; three grandchildren: Ellen (Jim) Hoffman of Cullom, IL, Elaine Clapp of Herscher, IL, and Steve (Stacy) Perkins of Herscher; seven great grandchildren: Amanda (Shane) McWhorter, Emily Clapp, Hannah (Darius) Wallace, Nathan Hoffman, Becky Perkins, Megan Perkins, and Jamie Perkins; one brother: Elery Perkins of Chatsworth, IL; two nephews: Raymond (Donna) Adams and Ron Perkins both of Bloomington; and special friend: Lois Shelby.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and one sister: Verna Hoxworth.
Archie had four F’s in his life: Farming, Flying, Fishing, and Florida. He farmed in the Cullom, Chatsworth, and Forrest area all his life. Archie enjoyed flying and belonged to the Flying Farmers in the 1950’s and 60’s and would fly his ERcoupe to the Plowing Matches. Archie and Myrtle went to Florida every year for thirty years.
He was a faithful Christian and member of the First Baptist Church in Fairbury; he was always ready to lend a helping hand. He was also a member of the Livingston County Farm Bureau.
Archie was a loving dad, grandpa, great grandpa, brother, and uncle who will be greatly missed.

Raymond & Joyce Brewer 25th

September 02, 2012 

CHATSWORTH — Raymond and Joyce Brewer of Chatsworth will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

Raymond and Joyce Gerdes were married Sept. 5, 1987, at United Methodist Church, Chatsworth. Their attendants were Jean Armstrong and Joseph Brewer.

Their children are Larry (Kathy) Gerdes, Chatsworth; Terry (Beth) Gerdes, Chenoa; Raymond Gerdes and Jean Armstrong, both deceased; and Robin Brewer, Pontiac. They have 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

See photo here.

Obit of Ralph Quint

Ralph Joseph Quint, 85, of Peotone, formerly of Leesburg, Ind., died Thursday (Aug. 30, 2012) at his home. Cremation rites have been accorded. All services are private. Fedde-Helfrich-Cross Funeral Home, Peotone, is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Quint was a millwright and owner of Quint's Drive-In in Chatsworth. He was born July 2, 1927, in Chicago, the son of Joseph and Catherine (Schmidt) Quint. His wife, the former Lola Jean Davis, whom he married June 1, 1944, in Chicago, preceded him in death. He loved to fish.

Surviving are his children, Francis (Sandra) Quint, of Dover, Tenn., Richard (Joy) Quint, of Manteno, Joann (Robert) Church, of Elkhart, Ind., Barbara (Craig) Panozzo, of Peotone, and Kathleen (Matt) Oleshko, of Manteno; daughter-in-law, Patricia Quint, of Markham; 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Mary Ann Turner, of Indiana.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Gerald Quint; and two sisters, Silverine and Jane.

Please sign his guestbook at feddehelfrichcrossfh.com.