Dorothy Mardis          Send a link to a friend

MOUNT PULASKI -- Dorothy Ellen Mardis, 84, of Mount Pulaski died Monday, Oct. 3, 2005, at 2:37 p.m. at St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Mount Pulaski.

Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Zion Lutheran Church in Mount Pulaski, with the Rev. Glenn Strohschein officiating.

Burial will be in Steenbergen Cemetery.

Mrs. Mardis worked at Stetson China and the bottle factory in Lincoln.

She was born Jan. 15, 1921, at Heyworth to Emil Fred and Bertha Amelia Bock Goetsch. She married Clarence Cecil Mardis in Missouri on Aug. 10, 1941. He preceded her in death.

She is survived by one daughter, Judy (and Jim Boy) Coogan of Mount Pulaski; one son, Clarence T. Mardis of Mount Pulaski; one sister, Bernadine George of Stanford; two grandchildren, J.C. (and Joyce) Coogan of Mount Pulaski and Teena (and Doug) Lowery of Mount Pulaski; one stepgrandson, Jerod Fults of Lincoln; four great-grandchildren; and one step-great-grandchild.

She was also preceded in death by one brother and two sisters.

She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Mount Pulaski.

Memorials may be made to her church or to the Mount Pulaski Zion Lutheran School.

Click here to send a note of condolence to the Mardis family.

Rachel 'Liz' Edwards          Send a link to a friend

BEASON -- Rachel Elizabeth "Liz" Edwards, 85, of Beason died Monday, Oct. 3, 2005, at 3:56 a.m. at St. John's Hospital, Springfield.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Lincoln.

Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with Tim Searby officiating.

Burial will be in Harmony Cemetery, Beason.

Mrs. Edwards was retired as owner and operator of the OK Tavern in Lincoln. She had worked in the clothing department at Lincoln Developmental Center in Lincoln for about a decade, beginning in 1959. She also farmed with her husband.

She was born March 26, 1920, in Danvers to Harry Ellsworth and Amy Watts Zook. She married Eugene Hall Edwards in Lincoln on Aug. 2, 1940. He died April 15, 1987.

She is survived by two sons, Harry David "Bear" (and Margaret) Edwards of Beason and James Roy "Chub" Edwards of Beason; three daughters, Carolyn Elizabeth (and Gary) Schall of Springfield, Mary Catherine Bland of Lincoln and Marilyn Louise Jackson, address unknown; one brother, Howard Watts (and Kay) Zook of Beason; a sister-in-law, Charlotte Key of Elkhart; 12 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

She was also preceded in death by one grandchild.

She was a member of Beason United Methodist Church, Beason United Methodist Women, North Aetna Home Bureau and Eagles Auxiliary 2708. She also assisted with 4-H.

Memorials may be made to Beason Fire Department or Beason United Methodist Church.

Delora Mast          Send a link to a friend

LINCOLN -- Delora Maude Mast, 86, of Lincoln died peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005, at the Christian Village.

Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Bennett Funeral Home in Lincoln, with the Rev. Phillip Blackburn officiating. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.

Burial will be Oct. 10 in Crystal, Mich.

Mrs. Mast taught at Hartsburg-Emden and retired in 1978.

She was born Dec. 20, 1918, at Crystal in Montcalm County, Mich., to Ernest and Maude McClelland Burk. She was married to Floyd H. Mast for over 50 years.

She is survived by two daughters, Karel Thompson of Oswego and Charlotte "Tillie" Griffin of Lincoln; one sister, Arlene Turner (and Paul) of Crystal, Mich; four grandchildren, Mark Thompson, Greg Griffin, Janis Labroo and Christine Wallace; and 14 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one brother, and one sister.

She served two terms as president of the League of Women Voters, her antique club -- Lintiquers, and the Hartsburg-Emden Teaching Association.

She attended a one-room school and graduated from high school at age 15. After working for several years, she entered Huntington College in Indiana in 1937, majoring in music. She entered Illinois State University in 1961 and graduated with a degree in social studies.

She especially enjoyed growing flowers and traveling in the U.S. and Europe.

Memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, Hospice, or the Christian Village and will be accepted at the funeral home.

Patricia Black          Send a link to a friend

LINCOLN -- Patricia A. Black, 80, of Lincoln died Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005, at 3:30 p.m. at St. Clara's Manor, where she had resided since 1983.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Lincoln. Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Wallace Reifsteck officiating.

Burial will be in New Union Cemetery.

Mrs. Black had been a technician at Lincoln Developmental Center.

She was born May 20, 1925, at Lincoln to Raymond and Helen Scheid Walker. She married Lee O. Black in Lincoln on Aug. 30, 1953. He died Aug. 19, 1963.

She is survived by two daughters, Julie (and Roger) Matson of Lincoln and Dana (and Doug) Mahler of Lincoln; one son, Michael L. (and Sonia) Black of Apex, N.C.; one sister, Alma Jane Giles Thomas of Tampa, Fla.; and three grandchildren, Abby Matson of Lincoln, Hayden Matson of Lincoln and Brianna Black of Apex, N.C.

She was also preceded in death by one brother, Robert L. Walker.

She was a member of St. John United Church of Christ.

Memorials may be made to her church or to St. Clara's Manor.

Alvin 'Bud' Dierker          Send a link to a friend

CHESTNUT -- Alvin "Bud" Dierker, 94, of Chestnut died Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005, at 11:10 a.m. at Vonderlieth Living Center in Mount Pulaski.

Visitation was on Monday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Mount Pulaski.

His funeral was at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Zion Lutheran Church in Chestnut, with the Rev. Joel Dietrich officiating.

Burial is in Mount Pulaski Cemetery.

Mr. Dierker was a retired farmer and drove the school buses in Chestnut for 17 years.

He was born Dec. 31, 1910, in rural Chestnut to Henry and Hilma Schaffenacker Dierker. He married Carmen Callison in Chestnut on Jan. 28, 1937. She died July 13, 1999.

He is survived by three sons, Edward (and Cookie) Dierker of Argenta, Vernon (and Linda) Dierker of Mount Pulaski and Ronnie (and Vicky) Dierker of Mackinaw; one daughter, Marian Rodgers of Savoy; one brother, Kenneth Dierker of Chestnut; two sisters, Dorothy (and Neil) Schaffer of Marshall, Mich., and Eileen (and Al) Huelskoetter of Bloomington; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

He was also preceded in death by an infant daughter, one brother and one sister.

He was a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church in Chestnut and was a member of the Lake Fork Drainage District.

Memorials may be made to his church or to Vonderlieth Living Center.

Click here to send a note of condolence to the Dierker family.

Joy Furkin          Send a link to a friend

LINCOLN -- Joy Anne Wiggers Furkin, 67, died Friday, Sept. 30, 2005, at 5:15 p.m. at St. Clara's Manor.

There is no visitation.

A graveside service at New Union Cemetery will be at a later date.

Arrangements are by Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Lincoln.

Mrs. Furkin had worked in cosmetology as a hairdresser.

She was born Aug. 2, 1938, in Lincoln to John and Elizabeth Lawhead Wiggers. She married Joseph "Bill" Furkin in Canton on Dec. 2, 1968.

She is survived by her husband, of Lincoln, and two sisters, Natalie Riecks of Loda and Sara Logan of Canton.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, John Earle Wiggers.

She was a member of the Church Of God.

Memorials may be made to Hospice Care of Illinois.

Click here to send a note of condolence to the Furkin family.