Mildred "Midge" R. Blickem, 68, of Lincoln, died at 7 a.m. Friday, Feb. 4, 2000, at her home.

Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 7, at Union Cemetery, with the Rev. Ken Hummel officiating. Burial will be with military rites.

Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home, Lincoln, with Eagles Auxiliary services at 5 p.m.

Mrs. Blickem was a retired L.P.N. She had worked at Lincoln Developmental Center and St. Clara’s Manor.

She was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War.

She was born May 30, 1931, in West Virginia, a daughter of Fred Robert and Laura Belle (Haney) Boling.

She is survived by two sons, Fred Boling of Lincoln and Bobby (and Sheila) Thomas of Lincoln; seven grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann Boling, Kathy Jo Boling, Christy Marie Boling, Felicia Boling, Jessica Boling and Leith Elijah Thomas, all of Lincoln, and Bobby Jean Thomas of Columbia, Mo.; 10 grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren, Ami Armitage of Bloomington, Angelie Armitage of Lincoln and Patrick Armitage of Fort Myers, Fla.; and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents. She was the last of her immediate family.

She was a member of the Eagles Auxiliary.

Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Rev. Dr. William Cutlip

The Rev. Dr. William Welrose Cutlip, 94, of Venice, Fla., formerly of Lincoln, died Saturday, Jan. 29, 2000, in Venice.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, 2000, at First United Methodist Church of Lincoln, with the Rev. Larry Maffett officiating.

Burial will be at Union Cemetery, Lincoln.

Visitation will be from noon until 1 p.m. Monday at the church.

The Rev. Dr. Cutlip was a United Methodist clergyman with the Central Illinois Conference, retiring after 41 years as an active member.

He was born Oct. 2, 1905, at Lincoln.

He is survived by his wife, Isobel, of Venice, Fla.; one daughter, Marily Ruth Long of Venice, Fla.; three sons, William Arthur Cutlip of Silver Spring, Md., Howard Ray Cutlip of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Paul Wesley Cutlip of Morton Grove; two sisters, Laura V. Baker of Lincoln and Alta M. Werkman of Dwight; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Helen. She died Feb. 25, 1988.

He was a member of Grace Methodist Church of Venice.

He was ordained on Aug. 23, 1931. He was dean of summer youth camp for 16 years and chairman of the Conference Board of Missions for 16 years. He served as associate pastor of First United Methodist Church in Decatur, a 3,800-member congregation, from 1934  to 1938, and returned 19 years later to serve as senior pastor for 11 years.

He served on the board of trustees of the Baby Fold in Normal for 27 years and on the board of trustees of Evenglow Lodge in Pontiac for 10 years. He was a senior active member of Rotary Club and Kiwanis Club. He was also a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, since March 1, 1927; of F. & A.M. Lodge #301, having been a Mason since 1953; and of Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Springfield.

During his retirement years, he served on a part-time basis as minister of membership and then as minister of visitation at his Florida church.

Memorials may be made to Grace United Methodist  Church of Venice, 400 Field Ave., Venice, FL 34285.

Gordon M. Walker, 87, of Hopedale Commons in Hopedale, died at 1:35 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2000, at Hopedale Medical Center.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Emden, with the Rev. Darby Lawrence officiating.

Burial will be at Bethel Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the church.

Walker was a livestock and grain farmer in Armington for many years. In 1972 his family was named the Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Family of the Year.

He was born Jan. 17, 1913, at Crookston, Minn., a son of William and Lillian (Minch) Walker. He married Ida R. Boerma Jan. 5, 1944, at Emden. She died April 2, 1992.

Surviving are sons and daughters Jim (and Sharon) Walker of Bloomington, Sue Crome of Lawrenceville, Ann (and Ron) Olson of Tampa, Fla., Bob (and Sandy) Walker of Virginia, Ill., and Kurt (and Marla) Walker of Armington; a sister, Margaret Patterson of Morton; a brother, Everett Walker of Armington; 13 grandchildren; and 5 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a brother, John Walker.

He was a member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church of Emden, where he served on the church board and building committee and also as a deacon. He was one of the three original trustees of the Armington Fire District, where he served for 30 years. He also served on the Hittle Township High School Board and the Trioka School Board.

Memorials may be made to his church or to Armington Rescue Squad.

Mabel A. Vespa, 85, of Lincoln, died at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2000, at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln.

Funeral services will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 4, at Holy Family Church in Lincoln, with the Rev. Thomas Taylor officiating.

Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, Lincoln.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, at Kerrigan Funeral Home, with the rosary and wake service at 5 p.m.

Mrs. Vespa retired in 1987 after 21 years as a clothing aide at Lincoln Developmental Center.

She was born March 29, 1914, in Buffalo, Ill., a daughter of George and Lena Mae (Woodcock) Clements. She married Anthony Vespa Sr. Nov. 9, 1938, in Springfield. He survives.

Also surviving are one daughter, Teresa Tierney of Lincoln; one son, Anthony Vespa Jr. of Richardson, Texas; three grandchildren; and three sisters, Dorothy Nass, Geneva Creviston and Maxine Sabo, all of Springfield.

She was preceded in death by one daughter, one brother and one sister.

She was a member of Holy Family Church in Lincoln.

Memorials may be made to the donor's choice.

Kerrigan Funeral Home in Lincoln is in charge of arrangements.