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EMDEN -- Matilda J. Gabbrants, 86, of Emden died Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2006, at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield.

Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. John's Lutheran Church in Hartsburg. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church.

Burial will be in Hartsburg Union Cemetery.

Arrangements are by Holland and Barry Funeral Home in Lincoln.

She retired from Lehn and Fink after more than 20 years of service and was previously employed at the Lincoln Garment Factory for many years. Perhaps the most rewarding job she had was being a homemaker. She raised two sons of whom she was very proud.

She was born Aug. 4, 1919, in Hartsburg to the late Benjamin and Augusta Hoeft Aper. She married Paul Gabbrants in the summer of 1941. He died in April of 1964.

She is survived by two sons, Kenneth L. (and wife Clarice) Gabbrants of Emden and Gary D. (and wife Linda) Gabbrants of Danvers; five grandchildren, Gregory P. Gabbrants of Emden, Troy L. Gabbrants of Raleigh, N.C., Garrick Gabbrants of Chicago, Carrie Gabbrants of Bloomington and Leslie Mathias of Normal; four great-grandchildren; and one step-great-grandchild.

Five brothers and two sisters preceded her in death.

She was a member of and a faithful servant at St. John's Lutheran Church in Hartsburg. She loved quilting and fellowship with the ladies of the church and was a member of the Ladies Aid. She never turned down an opportunity to help at church functions and was known for being the pie cutter at many dinners and gatherings.

She will be missed and remembered for her giving spirit and her willingness to serve her church and the Lord.

Memorial donations may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church in Hartsburg.

Gary Prather          Send a link to a friend

EAST PEORIA -- Gary L. Prather, 54, of Pocahontas, Ark., formerly of East Peoria, died Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006, at 10:15 p.m. at St. Bernard's Medical Center, Jonesboro, Ark.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Quiram Funeral Home, Atlanta. His funeral will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Burial will be in Atlanta Cemetery, with military rites conducted by Atlanta American Legion Gresham-Crutchley Post 341.

Mr. Prather retired from Caterpillar Tractor Co. in East Peoria in 2003.

He was a Vietnam veteran with service in the U.S. Navy.

He was born July 9, 1951, in Bloomington to Everett J. and Minnie L. Miller Prather.

He is survived by seven children, Melissa (and Greg) Dean of Danvers, Amy Prather of Bloomington, Kevin Prather of Creve Coeur, Jeremy Prather of East Peoria, Lisa Prather of Normal, John Prather of East Peoria and Joseph Prather of Danvers; seven grandchildren; siblings Don (and Pat) Prather of East Peoria, Carolyn (and Roger) Marten of Lincoln, Sharon (and Jim) Applegate of Atlanta, Randy (and Karen) Prather of Springfield, Marvin (and Alice) Prather of Creve Coeur, Connie (and Dexter) Sheff of Panama City, Fla., and Rick (and Brenda) Prather of McLean; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother.

He was a member of UAW Local 974.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Midwest Affiliate, Peoria.

Ruby Rohlfs

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LINCOLN -- Ruby R. Rohlfs, 85, of Lincoln died Monday, Feb. 20, 2006, at 10 p.m. at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield.

Her funeral was Thursday morning at Zion Lutheran Church in Lincoln, with the Rev. Mark Carnahan officiating. Visitation preceded the service.

Burial is in Zion Cemetery.

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

Mrs. Rohlfs and her husband, Melvin, farmed near Mount Pulaski until his death. She retired in 1985 from the dietary department at Lincoln Developmental Center.

She was born May 22, 1920, at Strasburg to Louis and Amanda Cress Fullriede. She married Melvin Rohlfs on Jan. 1, 1939, in Lincoln. He died May 30, 1971.

She is survived by one son, Gene (and Wanda Lee) Rohlfs of Lincoln; one daughter, Janet Guttschow of Normal; two sisters, Vera Steffens of Lincoln and Anna Blevins of Mason City; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

One sister, Edna Hullinger, preceded her in death.

She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church of Lincoln.

Memorials may be made to the building fund at her church.

Charles Naffziger          Send a link to a friend

ATLANTA -- Charles W. Naffziger, 83, of rural Atlanta died Monday, Feb. 20, 2006, at 5:37 a.m. at the Christian Village Nursing Home in Lincoln, where he had resided since March 2005.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Eminence Christian Church. His funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church, with Andy Glass and Ryan Edgecombe officiating.

Burial will be at Union Station Cemetery, Emden. Military rites will be conducted at the cemetery by Emden American Legion Post 506.

Quiram Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Mr. Naffziger was a farmer. He also engaged in custom corn shelling, custom hay baling, worked at Union Elevator and was a retiree of Caterpillar Tractor Co.

During World War II he served with the U.S. Navy on the cruise ship USS Cleveland.

He was born Nov. 9, 1922, at Hopedale to William P. and Rosa J. Thomas Naffziger. He married Berneice B. Birky on April 18, 1946, at Delavan.

He is survived by his wife; one daughter, Dianne (and Donald) Ruff of Lincoln; one granddaughter, Denice (and Brett) Baldin of Lincoln; one grandson, Darrin (and Rhonda) Ruff of Trafalgar, Ind.; and two brothers, Lyle E. (and Donna) Naffziger of San Jose and D. Dean (and Shirley) Naffziger of Armington.

One brother and two sisters preceded him in death.

He was a member of the Eminence Christian Church, where he served as an elder for 45 years, as a board member and trustee. He was also a member of Emden American Legion Post 506, National Association of Wheat Weavers and a founding member of the Illinois Association of Wheat Weavers. He was a broom-maker at Rockome Gardens, Arcola, for 15 years.

Memorials contributions may be made to Eminence Christian Church, Lincoln Christian Village Nursing Home or VNA Hospice, 720 N. Bond St., Springfield, IL 62702.