Francis Bennett
CHARLESTON - Francis E. Bennett, 86, of Charleston, died at 9 a.m. Sunday (Oct. 8, 2000) at Hilltop Nursing Home.
The Harper-Swickard Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Burial will be at a later date.He was born March 14, 1914, in Charleston, the son of Roger and Laura Mullens Bennett.
Surviving are one daughter, Sharon Craig of Charleston; one sister, Ruth Curtis of Charleston; and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one son, one daughter, two brothers, four sisters and one grandchild.
Mr. Bennett had worked as a laborer for the Nickel Plate Railroad.
Merrell Davis
MATTOON - Merrell T. Davis, 89, of Mattoon, died at 9:45 p.m. Friday (Oct. 6, 2000) at Mattoon Health Care Center.
The funeral will be 2 p.m. Monday at the Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home with the Rev. Ronald G. Dickinson officiating.
Burial will be in Rest Haven Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be one hour before the service at the funeral home.
He was born Jan. 7, 1911, near Oakland, the son of Jesse and Faye Davis.
He married Amanda E. Weber in 1940; she died in 1994.
Surviving are one son, Maurice W. Davis of Mattoon; two brothers, Max Gwinn Davis of Lebanon, Tenn., and Verlan Davis of North Glen, Colo.; one sister, Irene Jiles of Oakland; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and special friend, Kathy Hartley of Charleston.
He was also preceded in death by one sister.
Mr. Davis was retired from General Electric.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church.
Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, Lincolnland Hospice or the American Cancer Society.
Kelsey Selander
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, Calif. - A memorial service for Kelsey Phipps Selander, daughter of Maj. General John and Pauline Phipps, will be 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 13, at the First Presbyterian Church, Mattoon. More details will be given in Thursday's paper.
Robert Ridgway
NEWTON - Robert D. Ridgway, 74, of Newton, died at 4:30 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 11, 2000) at his residence.
The funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Grace United Methodist Church, Newton.
Burial will be in West Lawn Cemetery.
Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Crain Funeral Home in Newton.
He was born Sept. 13, 1926, in Crawford County, the son of James T. and Sophia M. James Ridgway.
He married Barbara J. Crouch in 1952; she survives.
Also surviving are two sons, Dean Ridgway of Pana and Keith Ridgway of Bourbonnais; three daughters, Marilyn Ridgway of Charleston, Carolyn Ridgway of Whiteland, Ind., and Twyla Harvey of Newton; one brother, William Ridgway of Annapolis; one sister, Maureen Oebel of Roseburg, Ore.; three grandchildren; and one step-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by one infant son, three sisters and three half sisters.
Mr. Ridgway was a farmer, announced horse races and was an auctioneer for 53 years. He also owned and operated Olney Livestock Commission for 20 years. He was a 4-H leader, served on the Jasper County Board for 10 years and was a Wade Township trustee.
He was a member of the Grace United Methodist Church.
Mary Reedy
LOVINGTON - Mary Margaret Shay Reedy, 72, of rural Lovington, died at 12:15 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 8, 2000) at her residence.
Arrangements are incomplete at the McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Lovington.
Lualyce Brown
Lualyce Claire Brown, age 62, of rural Mattoon, passed away at 10:59 a.m. on Friday, October 6, 2000, at the Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana.
The funeral services will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Monday at the Schilling Funeral Home with the Reverend Dr. John P. Besore III officiating, assisted by the Reverend Jan Kennedy.
Visitation will be from noon until service time on Monday afternoon at the funeral home.
Graveside services will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday in the Woodlawn Memorial Park at Joliet.
Lualyce was born at Joliet on January 16, 1938, a daughter of Richard and Gladys H. Decker Jacobson.
She married Jesse E. Brown on January 31, 1970. He passed away on March 7, 1990.
Survivors include one son, Russell E. Brown and wife Rhonda of rural Mattoon; one stepson, Tony Brown and wife Maureen of Braidwood; two stepdaughters, Sue Brower and husband John of Braidwood and Barbara Beasley and husband Harlan of Kentucky; and three grandchildren, Stephen R. Brown of Mattoon, Jennifer Brown and Patrick Brown, both of Braidwood.
Mrs. Brown retired in September of 1999, serving thirty years as Administrator, fourteen years of which was at the Odd Fellow-Rebekah Home in Mattoon. Lualyce served as President of the Rebekah Assembly from 1998-1999.
Memorials are suggested to the Harmony Center of the Odd-Fellow-Rebekah Home.
Thomas H. "Pud" Clayton
CHARLESTON - Thomas "Pud" Clayton, 84, of Charleston died at 1:35 a.m. Friday (Oct. 6, 2000) at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.
The funeral will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday at the Harper-Swickard Funeral Home with Pastor Mike Stallons officiating.
Burial will be in Mound Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Saturday (today) at the funeral home.
He was born Sept. 27, 1916, in Charleston, the son of Wilber and Lillie May Jenkins Clayton.
He married Jean Parkison in 1940, they had two children.
He later married Mary Carpenter, no children were born to this union.
Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Harry W. (Dinah Raye) Howell of Marietta, Ga.; a sister, Edna McDaniel of Charleston; grandchildren, Justin Briscoe Parker of Ft. Collins, Colo., and Alexandria Jane Parker of Atlanta, Ga.; nephews, Max E. McKee of Cape Coral, Fla., Larry McDaniel of Charleston, Ill., and Robert Clayton of Manteno, Ill.; long-timer personal friend, Phyllis A. Swank of Charleston; 9 great-nieces and nephews and 12 great-great-nieces and nephews.
He was also preceded in death by an infant son, Thomas H. Clayton, Jr.; two brothers, Charles and Dee Clayton; two sisters, Ruth Clayton McKee and Helen Clayton; one nephew, Sonny Clayton; and two infant nieces.
Mr. Clayton retired from the Brown Shoe Company. After retirement he worked for a Mattoon sheet metal company and also for the Charleston School System.
Mr. Clayton's greatest love was working and training horses.
He was a member of the Mattoon Eagles and attended the East Harrison Street Church of God.
Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Fund and East Harrison Street Church of God.
Frank Fleigle Jr.
TAYLORVILLE - Frank L. Fleigle Jr., 93, died at 2:24 p.m. Friday (Oct. 6, 2000) at St. Vincent Memorial Hospital in Taylorville.
The funeral will be 2 p.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Taylorville, with Father Martin O'Hara officiating.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at Connolly-McClure Funeral Home, Taylorville. Burial will be at St. Maurice Cemetery, Morrisonville.
He was born April 2, 1907, in Morrisonville, the son of Frank Fleigle and Estella M. Martin.
He married Dorothy E. Malsbury in 1928; she preceded him in death.
He is survived by one son, Joe Fleigle of Taylorville; two daughters, Lorraine Myerscough of Charleston and Juanita Nation of Morrisonville; two brothers, William Fleigle and Robert Fleigle, both of Morrisonville; and one sister, Ronella Schmedeke of Morrisonville.
He was also preceded in death by one infant son and four brothers.
Mr. Fleigle was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and a 50-year member of Knights of Columbus.
He was a retired farmer. Oct. 6, 2000
Delmont Baker
MAHOMET - Delmont B. Baker, 74, of Mahomet died at 4:25 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 4, 2000) at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.
The funeral will be 1 p.m. today at the Lake of the Woods Assembly of God Church, Mahomet, with Pastor Sam Thompson and Pastor Betty Thompson officiating.
Burial will be in the Grand View Cemetery in Champaign.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today a the church.
Edwards Funeral Home in Arcola is in charge of the arrangements.
He was born May 5, 1926, in Lincoln, the son of Benjamin and Blanche Walters Baker.
He married Norma Jean Berry in 1961; she survives.
Also surviving are two sons, Robert Steven Baker of San Jose, Calif., and Delrae Baker of Paxton; two daughters, Angelia K. Gash of Navaree, Fla., and Dana Marie Bryant of Arcola; two brothers, Harold and Barnard Baker, both of Decatur; two sisters, Fern Decker of Lincoln and Marion Fields of Fort Myers, Fla.; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two sons.
Mr. Baker was an Army veteran of World War II, receiving two Purple Hearts.
He was a self-employed carpenter and general contractor for several years all over the United States.
He later worked for Roger Huddleston Manufactured Homes in Mahomet as a field engineer.
He was a member of the VFW of Champaign, the Odd Fellow 32nd Degree of Kenney, and was active in the American Legion of Kenney and Halls Ville after his tour of duty.
Memorials may be made to the Lake of the Woods Assembly of God Church Building Fund.
Roy Beals
NEOGA - Roy Lee Beals, 62, of Neoga died at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 4, 2000) at his residence.
The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Swengel-O'Dell Funeral Home with the Rev. Steve Massengill officiating.
Burial will be in Beals Cemetery.
Visitation will be two hours before service time.
He was born April 6, 1938, in Neoga, the son of H. Otis and Alice K. Thompson Beals.
Surviving are his mother; one son, Ronal Lee Beals of Neoga; two daughters, Shirley Kingery of Toledo and Carla Jones of Neoga; and six grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Mr. Beals was a journeyman at Blaw-Knox in Mattoon, attended Good Prospect Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Trilla and was a member of UAW local 914.
