g_obits

"G" OBITUARIES

Union County Illinois Genealogy Trails

ANETA GEORGE

DONGOLA, IL - Aneta George, 71, died at 5:06 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at her home.
She was born Oct. 12, 1937, in Mill Creek to Elbert and Verneal (Jordan) Hileman.
She married Carl George on April 2, 1955. He preceded her in death Sept. 8, 2006.
She was a homemaker.
She is survived by two sons, Larry (Karen) George of Churchill, Tenn. and Rick (Melanie) George of Dongola; four grandchildren, Cristy (Rodney) Miller of Ullin, Eric George of Churchill, Tenn., and Casy (Lee Ann) George and Dakota George, all of Dongola; four great-grandchildren, Jeffery and Linsey Miller and Clayton and Westin George; two sisters, Joann Clutts and Kay Whitney; two brothers, Frank Hileman and Elbert Lee Hileman; special extended family, Richard, Darla, Caily and Joi Flick of Greenville; and several nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; one step-grandchild, Danny Muskopf; two brothers, Bill and Larry Hileman; and two sisters, Betty June McCommons and Phyllis Reynolds.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008, in Crain Funeral Home in Dongola, with Brent Miller officiating. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Crain Funeral Home in Dongola.

--Published in The Southern Illinoisan on 11/14/2008

LEE ROY GIBSON

St. Cloud, FL--LEE ROY GIBSON, 78, 1423 New York Ave., St. Cloud, died Friday, May 9. Mr. Gibson was a truck driver. Born in Wolf Lake, Ill., he moved to Central Florida in 1983. He was a member of American Legion Post 80. He was an Army veteran of World War II. Survivors: wife, Twyla; stepson, Charles Pelton, St. Cloud; stepdaughter, Cathy Holdebaum, West Salem, Ohio; sister, Geneva Blake, Alton, Ill. Fisk Funeral Home, St. Cloud.
--Orlando Sentinel, The (FL) - May 13, 1997

STEVEN E. GOINS JR.

Alto Pass, Ill.--Steven E. Goins, Jr., 26, of Alto Pass died Friday, March 14, 2008.

He was born Sept. 25, 1981, at Cape Girardeau, Mo., son of Steven and Amy Lou Goins.
Goins worked as an over the road truck driver.
Survivors include his mother of Alto Pass; two sisters, Ivy Roach of Anna, Ill., Jennifer Pender of Alto Pass; maternal grandparents Phil and Phyllis Goins of Cobden, Ill.; paternal grandparents Barbara Johnson of Cobden, and Glenn and Jane Goins of Anna.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro, Ill.
Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home with the Revs. Richard Pearce and Josh Carson officiating. Burial will be in Casper Cemetery in Anna.

BEULAH JOHNSON GOODWIN

Beulah I. Johnson Goodwin, age 80 of Bourbonnais, formerly of Dongola, died Thursday, July 11 in Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee.
She was born December 14, 1910, at Ullin, the daughter of Ollie and Vinnie Walker Daniels. She married Joseph O. Johnson, who preceded 
her in death in 1960.
She was retired from the Manteno Mental Health Center.
She is survived by a brother, Morris Daniels of Ullin: two sisters, Mary Junkerman of Kankakee and Maxine Carstens of Bourbonnais, 
and four nephews.
Besides her parents and husband, she also was preceded in death by a sister, Helen Daniels, who died in infancy.
Funeral services were held Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Crain Funeral Home in Dongola with Rev. Lucien Bozarth officiating. 
Interment was in the American Legion Cemetery in Dongola

--Source: Gazette Democrat, contributed by Teresa Holcomb.

MRS. AURELIA GRANAY

    Aurelia Granay was born September 8, 1886, in Union County, Ill., the daughter of Doctor Henderson and Malinda Sivia Toler, and passed away Wednesday, December 12, 1973, at the Gilmer Nursing Home in St. Augustine, Fla.
    She was united in marriage to Oscar Granay on July 31, 1901, and to this union three children were born. She is survived by two sons, Warden T. Granay of Belleville, Ill., Vern Granay of Anna, and a daughter, Mary Louise McCord of St. Augustine, Fla. She is also survived by three grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
    Mrs. Granay was a charter member of the Royal Neighbors, joining in 1929, and a member of the Willing Helpers Club.
    Mr. And Mrs. Granay were married 65 years before Mr. Granay’s death on May 24, 1966.
    Funeral services were held Sunday, Dec. 16, at 1:30 p.m., at the Crain Funeral Home in Anna, with Rev. Joseph Van Roekel officiating. Interment was made in the Anna Cemetery.
    Crain Funeral Home in Anna was in charge of arrangements.

--Contributed by Larry Toler

OSCAR A. GRANAY

    Oscar A. Granay was born October 15, 1880, in Union County, Ill., the son of Frand and Louise Pender Granay, and passed away Tuesday, May 24, 1966, at the Union County Hospital, at the age of 85 years, seven months and nine days.
    He was united in marriage to Aurelia Toler on July 31, 1901, and to this union three children were born.
    Mr. Granay is survived by his wife, Aurelia, two sons, Warden of East St. Louis and Vern of Mt. Pleasant, one daughter, Mrs. Mary Louise McCord of Belleville, a half sister, Mrs. Etta Halterman of Anna, three grandchildren, five great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
    He was a retired farmer, a horse and mule buyer for Bishops and a Government agent for seven years. He was always interested in politics and world affairs.
    Funeral services were held Thursday, May 26, at 2 p.m., at the Crain-Norris funeral Home in Anna, with Rev. Richard Teaford, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, officiating. Interment was made in the Anna Cemetery.
    Crain-Norris Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

--Contributed by Larry Toler

RUTH G. GRANAY

    Mrs. Ruth G. Granay of Anna was born Nov. 9, 1909 in De Soto, Mo., the daughter of Albert and Florence McNamara Huskey. She died at 6:50 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, 1981 at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.
    She married Vern Granay on Aug. 15, 1931 in Carlyle.
    Mrs. Granay is survived by her husband, Vern of Anna; a brother, Albert Kuhlman of St Louis, Mo.; nieces, including, Becky Boyd of Anna; nephews; other relatives and many friends.
    Funeral services for Mrs. Ruth G. Granay were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan 27, 1981 at the Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna with the Rev. Gary Scheller officiating. Interment was in the Anna Cemetery.
    Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna was in charge of the arrangements.

--Contributed by Larry Toler

BETTY LOU GREAR

Mrs. Betty Lou Grear, age 46 of Dongola, died early Monday morning in the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dongola.
She is survived by her husband, John T. Grear of Dongola: two daughters, Mrs Toma McCommons and Mrs. Teresa Holcomb of Dongola; two sons Kelton Grear of Fort Knox, Ky., and Shawn Grear of Dongola; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ridenhour of Dongola; 3 grandchildren; one brother, Harold Ridenhour of Ullin; two sisters, Mrs. Maxine Douglas of Kansas City, Mo., and Mrs. Anita Severs of Jonesboro.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, May 12 at 1:30 p.m. in the Crain Funeral Home in Dongola with Rev Lucien Bozarth officiating. Interment was in the Dongola American Legion Cemetery.
Crain Funeral Home in Dongola was in charge of arrangements.
--Southern Illinoisan, May 10, 1971, submitted by Teresa.

JOHN THOMAS GREAR

John Thomas "Tom" Grear, age 71, of Dongola died at 9:39 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1998, at the Union County Hospital in Anna, IL.
He was born in Ullin on July 17, 1923, to Roy Richard and Lorriane Harmon Grear. He married Betty Lou Ridenhour on August 4, 1946. She preceded him in death on May 10, 1971.
Mr. Grear attended Ullin Baptist Church as a youth and being a POW during WWII, he had a spiritual relationship with God. He was a veteran of WWII, where he served as a machine gunner with Company H 7th Inf. Regt. of the 3rd Infantry Division. He was in action in the Voges Mountains and Comar Pocket area in France and Germany. He was a Prisoner of War, being captured in Utweiler, Germany, on March 15, 1945, and liberated on April 15, 1945. He was awarded the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the French Croix DeGuerre and the Combat Infantry Badge. He was a life member of the Mounds VFW Post 8891 and Society of the 3rd Infantry Division. He also was a member of the Anna Moose Lodge 1346. He was retired maintenance supervisor from the Union County Housing Authority, where he had worked for 15 years. He previously worked as ICRR railroad agent for 20 years. He was an avid fisherman and hunter.
He is survived by two daughters, Tomma (Joe) Hogue and Teresa (Barry) Holcomb of Dongola: two sons, Kelton (Mickie) Grear of Cobden and Shawn Grear of Dongola; nine grandchildren; six great grandchildren; a sister Catherine Echols of Dongola; nieces; nephews, and other relatives.
Funeral services and interment were private with Rev. Paul Sadler officiating. Interment was in the American Legion Cemetery with Military rites by Carroll P. Foster Post 3455 VFW.
Crain Funeral Home of Dongola was in charge of arrangements.

--Tri Co Record; Submitted by Teresa.