Iroquois County Obituaries

Obituaries O

John Obenland
Sheldon - John F. Obenland, 74, of Sheldon, died Saturday (Dec 15, 2001) at Iroquois Memorial Hospital, Watseka. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Knapp Funeral Home, Sheldon, and from 10 a.m. Wednesday until the 11 a.m. services at the Church of Christ, Sheldon. Rev. Van Haas will officiate.
Burial, with graveside military rites by the Sheldon and Watseka VFW, will be in the Sheldon Cemetery.
He was born Jan. 22, 1927, in Rankin, the son of Carl Benjamin and Lydia Rebecca Natschke Obenland.
Surviving are his wife, the former Bettie Jo Smith, whom he married June 4, 1949, in Kentland, Ind., one son, Craig Obenland and fiancee, Jacqueline Gregory of Kentland, Ind.; three daughters and two sons-in-law, Linda and Mike Mabbitt of Rochester, Minn., Pamela Potter and fiance, Lee Carlson of Donovan, Carol and Dennie Ritchie of Kentland, Ind.; one brother, Carl Raymond Obenland of Sheldon; one sister-in-law, Barbara Obenland of Iroquois, 12 granadchildren and six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
One brother, Melvin; and one son, Steven Fredrick, are deceased. He was a U.S. Army veteran serving during World War II. Mr. Obenland had been a pressman for UARCO for 25 years. He was a member of the Church of Christ, Sheldon, where he served as an Elder and Sunday School teacher. He was a member of the VFW and president of the Over 50 Club in Kentland. He enjoyed woodworking.
[Unknown newspaper, December 17, 2001, Submitted by Carol Natschke Harner]

Lydia Obenland
August 3, 1984, Sheldon, Iroquois Co. IL,
Sheldon - Lydia Obenland, 87, 315 S. Fifth St., a long-time resident of Sheldon, died Thursday at her home, following an unexpected illness. Mrs. Obenland was born April 20, 1897, in Cissna Park to Alexander and Carlena Freiboth Natschke. She was married Sept. 9, 1914 at Monroe, Mich., to Carl "Ben" Obenland. Survivors include three sons, Raymond of Manhattan, Melvin of Iroquois and John of Sheldon; four grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren; and a brother, William Natschke of Woodland.
Her husband, two brothers, five sisters and one grandchild are deceased.
She had lived in the Sheldon area since 1941 and previously lived in the Cissna Park and Rankin areas.
Visitation will be from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. today at the DeValk Funeral Home, Sheldon, and one hour before the services at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Sheldon Church of Christ, of which she was a member. The Rev. William Lemay will officiate and burial will be in Sheldon Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Sheldon Church of Christ. [Submitted by Carol Natschke Harner]