Obituaries Archive - Page 104 of 182 - The Woodstock Independent

Obituaries

Ruby Denise Valentine, 59, Woodstock

February 9, 2016

Ruby Denise Valentine, 59, Woodstock, died Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, at her home surrounded by her loving family. She was born July 17, 1956, to Frank L. and Annie L. (Hunter) Melvin in Orange, N.J. She worked in the payroll planning department at Sears Holdings. She also owned and operated Ruby Red Embroidery. She loved to sew and make quilts. She was a member of the Friendship Bee Quilting Guild. She enjoyed reading and listening to recorded books. She worked hard to raise her two children. She was a fantastic singer and Chicago stepping dancer. Most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her loving family, especially her grandchildren, and she was an inspiration to those who knew her. Survivors include her mother; a son,

Donald H. Bauman Sr., 87, Marengo

February 9, 2016

Donald H. Bauman Sr., 87, Marengo, died Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, at his home with his loving family near. He was born Jan. 5, 1929, to Hugo and Esther (Diedrick) in Union. On Nov. 5, 1949, he married Irene Kastning at St John’s Lutheran Church, Union. He grew up farming with a team of horses. He graduated eighth grade with two students in the class, a favorite memory of his. His classmate was his dear friend Paul Dumproff. He was a 20-year veteran in the Illinois National Guard and served as a master sergeant in the Korean War, thereby inheriting the nickname of “Sarg” to his close friends and comrades. He was awarded a Bronze Star. He was a lifelong

Edna L. Torgeson, 87, Woodstock

February 2, 2016

Edna L. Torgeson, 87, Woodstock, died peacefully Jan. 28, 2016, at her daughter’s home – the same home she and her husband built in 1963 – surrounded by her family. She was born Jan. 5, 1929, to Gleason and Pearl (Darr) Thompson in Coral. On July 14, 1949, she married Don G. Torgeson. They celebrated 38 years of marriage before Don died in 1987. She had a passion for baking, sewing, puzzles, watching tennis and cheering for the Cubs. Survivors include six children, Peggy (Dennis) Gaul, Gerry (Susie) Torgeson, Doug Torgeson, Pam (Roy) Stackhouse, Sue (Tim) Brady and Lori (Frank) Sullivan-Ehredt; 16 grandchildren, Kati (Mike) Meli, Erik (Sam) Torgeson, Kelsy (Tory) Hutchison, Wade Torgeson, Abbie (Justin) Massa, Lindsay Torgeson, Ryan Torgeson,

Annette Crossman Bechaud, 57, Marengo

February 2, 2016

Annette Crossman Bechaud, 57, Marengo, died Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, at Centegra Hospital-Woodstock. She was born Aug. 16, 1958, to Lester W. and Genevieve (Enid) Crossman in Harvard. On Oct. 6, 2007, she married Jack P. Bechaud in Woodstock. She was a 1976 graduate of Woodstock High School. She worked for State Farm Insurance for many years, most recently for Mark Krueger, Lake in the Hills. She was very creative and enjoyed doing arts and crafts. She was a great cook and loved to read. She loved being an aunt, and she loved life. Survivors include her husband; her mother, Genevieve (Enid) Crossman Reichardt; two sisters Corinne Holly Steffen and Brenda (Philip) Stack; six nieces and nephews, Jamie Michele Steffen,

Paul Kleven, 86, formerly of Hebron

February 2, 2016

Paul Kleven, 86, West Frankfort, formerly of Hebron, died Friday, Jan. 22, 2016, at his home. He was born June 4, 1929, to George and Esther (Konksgaard) Kleven in Chicago. On Aug. 31, 1957, he married Edith Hunt. He worked for TC Industries for more than 42 years. He served as a Cub Scout leader for seven years and was a Webelos leader for five years. He enjoyed camping, was a history buff and an avid Cubs and Bears fan. He loved old cars and trains and he enjoyed many trips to the Volo Auto Museum. He supported many charities throughout his life, donating blood at least twice a year. He always went out of his way to help someone

Donald J. Wieder, 69, Woodstock

January 26, 2016

Donald J. Wieder, 69, Woodstock, died Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016, at home surrounded by his family, after battling cancer since 2012. He was born Dec. 31, 1946, to George and Agnes (Urban) Wieder in Chicago. On May 16, 1970, he married Bernadette Downes. He was from the South Side of Chicago. He attended Kelly High School and Walton College. He worked in accounting for 50 years, and he served in the National Guard from 1967 until 1972. He was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church, Woodstock. He enjoyed the outdoors, and playing and watching sports. He was happiest spending time with his family and friends. He was known by them to be a very loving and kind man, and

Vernon Lee Foat, 76, Westfield, Wis.

January 26, 2016

Vernon Lee Foat, 76, Westfield, Wis., died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016. He was born Sept. 2, 1939, to Raymond and Louise Foat in Woodstock. On Dec. 10, 1975, he married Janet Rounds in Woodstock. He was an amateur roller skater in McHenry who participated in competitions. He worked most of his life as a produce grocer and retired from Alexander’s of Westfield. He enjoyed fishing, Western movies and music, repairing small engines at his repair shop, and operating J+V Video, a store he shared with his wife. Survivors include a sister, Nancy Nusbaum; five children, Michael Foat, Jeffrey (Linda) Foat, Toni (Jim) Hoy, Candy Foat and Christina Angel; two stepchildren, Ralph (Diane) Rounds and Janet (Timothy) Bieschke; 22 grandchildren; 14

Faith Evelyn Kies, 16, Woodstock

January 26, 2016

Faith Evelyn Kies, 16, Woodstock, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Phoenix, Ariz. She was born Dec. 2, 1999, to Stormy and Sue (Kavanagh) Kies in McHenry. She was a sophomore at Woodstock North High School where she was an honor roll student who held herself to very high standards, insisting that she receive A’s in every class. She participated in many school activities. She worked on the school play last semester by preparing the props for every performance. She was on the track and field team at school, and she enjoyed running other 5K events with her family for fun. She enjoyed being an office assistant at the high school because she liked to help people, and she always

Wayne K. Gieseke, 77, Garden Prairie

January 20, 2016

Wayne K. Gieseke, 77, Garden Prairie, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, at Mercy Harvard Hospital, Harvard. He was born Sept. 1, 1938, to Lester and Mildred (Bieger) Gieseke in Evanston. On Feb. 4, 1961, he married Josephine K. Lohr in Arlington Heights. He served in the U.S. Army. He was a member of the Plumbers Union 130 U.A. Survivors include his wife; three children, Wanda (Jeff) Grover, Wendy (Gordy) Rinda and Wayne (Pam) Gieseke Jr.; three grandchildren, Colin Grover, Kelsey Grover and Georgia Rinda; two sisters, Jean Strom and Donna Anderson; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents. A memorial gathering will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, at Schneider-Leucht-Merwin

Margaret Sandner Eyre, 98, Woodstock

January 20, 2016

Margaret Sandner Eyre, 98, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. She was born May 9, 1918, at the corner of Lawrence and Mannheim roads on a tomato and onion farm. The farm was owned by Mr. Busse and farmed by her parents, Ed and Elisabeth Sandner, Austrian immigrants who arrived before World War I. They farmed for a half share of the crops. She was inducted into the National Honor Society at York High School. Upon her graduation in 1936, she attended Gregg Business College. Her first job was working for the Donnelley Publishing Company, and later she became the office manager for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in Elmhurst. In 1943 she met her husband, Leonard W. Eyre, a cowboy from