Shirley Reed passed away April 13, 2021. She was born on Feb. 3, 1925, daughter of William and Signa Remus in Woodstock, Ill., and later married Russell Reed. They had five children. Shirley moved to Arizona and lived in Scottsdale, Sedona, Cottonwood, Prescott, and finally Mesa. She loved the red rocks and beauty of Sedona. Shirley’s greatest passion was letter and poetry writing, sending to her many friends and family. She also enjoyed traveling and especially loved the Lake Tahoe area. She attended family reunions on the Peterson farm, which is still operating by Ronald Peterson. She is survived by her sister, Dorothy Marske; daughters, Sherl and Kay; and sons, Richard and Steven. She also has numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Matthew Aaron Gummerson, 38, formerly of Ringwood, Ill., passed away unexpectedly on April 9, 2021. Matthew was the son of R. Mark Gummerson and Dianne M. (Johnson) Wagner. Matt, also known as “Mongo” to his friends, had a big heart and an even bigger smile that would light up any room. He was loyal, kind, loving, and always made his friends and family laugh. Matt was also a huge Green Bay Packer Backer who donned his favorite Packer jersey No. 12 for every game. Matt had an immense passion for fishing, working on small engines, animals, and cooking. Matt will be deeply missed by so many. He is survived by his father and stepmother, R. Mark and Jan Gummerson; his

Born: August 25, 1922 Died: April 9, 2021 Mary F. Taylor, 98, of Woodstock, passed away peacefully at home on April 9, 2021. Mary was the loving wife of George B. Taylor, daughter of Mae and Richard Farrell, and sister of James Farrell. Mary was the blessed and devoted mother of seven children: Robert (Mary Rita) Taylor, Dennis (Terry) Taylor, Patricia (Thomas) Micek, Mary Jo (Brett) Willits, Colleen (Gary, deceased) Huntley, Georgia (Scott) Stevens, and John (Michelle) Taylor. She was the loving grandmother to 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Mary graduated from St. Mary’s High School, worked as a switchboard operator at Illinois Bell Telephone Co., and later worked as a bookkeeper for the Woodstock State Bank. where life-long friends

Kathleen (Kady) B. Rachford, 89, was born the daughter of Margaret Evans on March 2, 1932, at Misericordia Hospital in Chicago and was named Elizabeth Evans. She was in an orphanage until age 1, when her adoptive father fell in love with her even though they were looking for a boy. Kady was lovingly adopted by Stanley J. and Kathryn Hayes and was re-named Kathleen Bridget Hayes. Kady passed away peacefully on April 8, 2021. She is preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband, Fred; son, Danny; granddaughter, Danielle; her niece, Carol (Jeff) Kessler; and sister-in-law, Virginia (Robert) Rachford. Kady grew up in Chicago. In 1949, she graduated from Saint Gabriel Commercial High School and was then employed

June 10, 1950 – April 5, 2021 Daniel Z Kreisman, 70, of Woodstock, Ill., passed away on April 5, 2021, at Avondale Estates in Elgin, Ill.  A lover of theatre, history, and astronomy, Dan had a vibrant and lively spirit that lifted up all those around him. In 2005, Dan married Lynne (Milleson) Kreisman, whom he considered the love of his life. Sadly, Lynne passed in late 2020. Dan is survived by his children, Todd (Erin) Kreisman, Kim (Rob) Scharlow, and Jordan (Casie) Kreisman; his grandchildren, Aiden, Oliver, and Evelyn; his brother, Norm (Terri) Kreisman; his cherished dog, Poochini; and by a host of extended family and dear and close friends who mourn his passing. Dan was preceded in death

George Lilja, 92, of Woodstock, Ill., passed away at Journey Care in Barrington, Ill., on March 18, 2021. He was born Jan. 18, 1929, to Oscar and Alice (Marvin) Lilja in Woodstock. On Oct. 17, 1953, he married Marilyn Nelson at the First United Methodist Church in Woodstock. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his son, Scott (Doreen) Lilja; two granddaughters, Rhiannon Lilja and Tyler (Jamie) Cassidy; one grandson, Christopher (Rebecca) Lilja; one stepgrandson, Dustin Church; five great-grandchildren, Savannah and Sienna Lilja, Noah and Hadleigh Cassidy, and Leah Church; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Steven Lilja; two brothers, Lester and LaVern; and a sister, Dolores Lilja. George was a

Kirk B. Halma, age 64, of Woodstock, Ill., passed away peacefully at home on March 16, 2021, with his loving, fun wife, Kate, at his side, his beloved dogs at his feet, and some of his favorite ’70s rock songs shared by his best friend Bruce McConnell playing.  After graduating from Woodstock High School (Class of ’75) and Marquette University, Kirk worked his way through careers in insurance; he partnered with his father to operate a hardware store; he ventured into computer-aided design; and spent many successful years at Centerville Properties. At the age of 52, he dedicated his life’s work to training dogs and became known for his success in rectifying some of the most challenging dogs. During his

Katherine C. Schultz, age 79, of Woodstock, passed away Friday March 12, 2021, at JourneyCare Hospice Inpatient Unit in Barrington. She was born in Woodstock on Oct. 5, 1941, to Emery and Glenna (Fransisco) Cross. She married Donald Schultz on June 18, 1960; he passed away on May 2, 2011. She then married Paul Laudick on Nov. 8, 2013. She began her career at the McHenry County Courthouse on Oct. 16, 1959, at the County Clerk’s Office. She was first elected as county clerk on Nov. 1, 1990, and continued serving until her retirement on Nov. 29, 2014. She was the only county employee to serve for over 50 years and was recognized for her achievement by the Illinois General

Sharon Browne, age 85, of Woodstock, Ill., passed away on Tuesday March 16, 2021, She was born Jan. 4, 1936, to Rudolph and Esther Kren. She was married to Chuck Browne on Nov. 20, 1971. Sharon graduated from the University of Wisconsin­-Milwaukee, with a degree in education. She taught at Fisher Elementary School in Wauwatosa, Wis. Over the years, she and her family lived in Arlington Heights, Ill., Evansville, Ind., Franklin, Wis., Brentwood, Tenn., Peachtree City, Ga., and Woodstock.  She enjoyed having fun with her three grandsons, and her winter vacations with her husband in the desert of southern California. She loved playing golf and hit three holes-in-one at Rancho Casa Blanca Golf Course in Indio, Calif. She was a