Born: July 7, 1945 At Rest: Jan. 16, 2019 For many of her friends and family, the most vivid image of Rebecca Walkington is of a determined woman wearing gloves stained green, bending to pull up swatches of garlic mustard that had invaded a lovely spread of forest on the slope of Bull Valley, where she lived. While raising a large, loving family of six kids, Becky devoted herself to good causes, ranging from human rights to help for people with disabilities to protecting the environment. Her efforts toward preserving the woodlands and prairie will have a lasting impact on McHenry County. She died Jan. 16, 2019, at 73 after a brief illness. The daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Babcock,

Rosemary Gancar, age 95, passed away Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, at her residence in Mt. Sterling, Ky. She was a 70-year resident of Woodstock, Ill., before she and her husband moved to Nebraska to be nearer family. Rosemary was the daughter of George and Margaret Stoffel. She married J. William Gancar in 1945, and they celebrated 59 years together. They were blessed with two children, Claudia Blauer and William G. Gancar, both of Mt. Sterling, Ky. She was a veteran of WWII serving as a flight line mechanic with the United States Army Air Corps. She was active on a number of civic and governmental bodies for the city of Woodstock and was a familiar figure at the McHenry County

Evelyn ‘Evie’ Fischer, 90 A beautiful voice has been added to the heavenly choir. Evelyn “Evie” Fischer, age 90, of Woodstock, passed away Dec. 29, 2018. She was born on Dec. 20, 1928 to Roger and Ella (Beu) Scofield. She married the late Theodore Fischer on June 29, 1973. Evie was the office manager for Dr. John R. Tambone for over 40 years. She was a very active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Woodstock. She sang in the choir, served on numerous committees, and attended Bible study. She was active with Easter Seals when it was first formed and was also a member of the Woodstock Fine Arts Association. She enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, and watching chickadees and

Marilyn (Lynn) Dibler Leigh, a resident of Albuquerque, N.M., since 1969, passed away Nov. 13, 2018, at the age of 94. She was born July 3, 1924, in Woodstock, Ill., the daughter of Rose and George Henry Dibler. Marilyn was raised by her paternal grandparents, Mary and Lincoln Dibler, after the death of her birth mother. She is survived by her daughter, Pam Leigh, who lovingly cared for her over the many years; and granddaughters, Aimee Duran and Doris Pilliod. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Debbie Duran, and cousin, Jean Reed, of Woodstock, Ill. Marilyn attended Illinois Wesleyan University, where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Marilyn joined TWA (Trans World Airlines) as a hostess

Jimmie Lou Elyea (Farel), 72, started her journey with the lord on Dec.15, 2018, around 11 a.m. surrounded by family. Jimmie was born in Bakersfield, Mo., on March 25, 1946, to Faye Holstine (Farel). She married Darrel “Butch” Elyea, the love of her life, on Sept. 11, 1971, in Woodstock, Ill. Together they were blessed with one daughter, Heather Arenas (m. Pedro), who gave her two granddaughters, Rikki and Randi, and one great-granddaughter, Mila. Their son, Timothy Elyea, gave them four granddaughters, Morgan, Macey, Taylor and Toni, and two great-grandchildren, Gavin and Avery. Jimmie is survived by her loving husband and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as well as her siblings, James “Buck” Hayes, Gene (m. Connie) Farel, Jack Lawing,

Leonard Dale Mitchell of Rio, Ill., passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s Hospital in Galesburg on Sunday morning. He was 93 years old. Leonard was born to Archie and Meriby Mitchell in Humeston, Iowa, on April 26, 1925. On Feb. 10, 1945, he married Thelma Jewell Bardwell. To that union four children were born: Eva S. (James) Ramsay of Baton Rouge, La.; Carolyn K. (Ted) Kowalewycz of St. Joseph, Mo.; Francis D. Mitchell (deceased); and Leonard N. Mitchell of Woodstock, Ill. Thelma preceded him in death on May 14, 1978. On Oct. 20, 1988, he married Betty Norris. They were together until her death on Nov. 7, 1998. Leonard graduated as class valedictorian from Humeston High School in 1942. He

[two_third_last]Carolyn Gail Richards, 92, of La Porte, Ind., passed away Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. Carolyn was born Aug. 12, 1926, in Antigo, Wis., to Paul and Blanche (Jewell) Dawley. On Oct. 10, 1946, in St. Paul, Minn., Carolyn married Richard J. Richards, who preceded her in death on Jan. 31, 1998. Carolyn was a member of Agape Christian Church. She loved participating in bowling, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, tennis, and playing horseshoes. She loved animals, bird watching, being outdoors, nature and her family. She was a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers. Carolyn is survived by her twin sister, Carol (Dawley) Guenther; five daughters, Jacqueline Hardesty of La Porte, Ind., Susan Richards of Woodstock, Illinois, Kathy (Hugh)