Obituaries, Page 1

Transcribed by Dan Weger.

These obituaries were copied from the collection located at the Robinson Public Library. The obituaries themselves are usually not dated. Whoever made the collection has written down the dates by hand. The source of the obituary (i.e. which newspaper) is also not included.

Obituary of Harold VAN BUSKIRK, published 28 Jun 1978.
   Harold J. Van Buskirk, 63, Route One, Hutsonville, died at 1:35 a.m. Tuesday at Terre Haute Regional Hospital. A retired manufacturer's representative, he was born March 27, 1915, at Danville, son of the late William K. and Grace Jenkins Van Buskirk. He was married August, 1937, to Wilma Jane Tucker at Chicago.
   Mr. Buskirk was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 268 of Paris and the Valley of Danville Consistory.
   He is survived by his wife; a son, Stephen Buskirk, Elgin; three daughters, Mrs. James Cunningham, Rantoul, Mrs. Sue Cares, Houston, Tex., and Alice Ann Van Buskirk, Marshall; and seven grandchildren.
   Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Sutton and Son Funeral Home, Paris, with Rev. Dr. John Faust officiating. Burial will be in Stearns Cemetery, Fithian. Friends may call from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

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Obituary of Virginia (COUNTS) ALEXANDER, published 30 Jun 1978.
   Mrs. Ross (Virginia) Alexander, 56, 705 S. Garfield, Oblong, a former nurses' aide at Crawford Memorial Hospital, died early this morning in the Skilled Care Unit of Crawford Memorial Hospital following an extended illness. She was born Oct. 10, 1921 in Tennessee, and married Ross A. Alexander Dec. 3, 1941 at Hazel Green, Ala. She was the daughter of H. N. and Artie M. Counts and was a member of the Prior Grove Baptist Church.
   She is survived by her husband, Ross; a stepdaughter, Mrs. Bob (Marilyn) Yost, Olney; four stepgrandchildren; one great stepgrandson; four brothers, Glen Counts, Estell Springs, Tenn., Lloyd Counts, Grand Rapids, Ohio, Robert Counts, Huntsville, Ala., and Nelle Counts, Maquon; three sisters, Mrs. Madeline McGee, Thornton, Mrs. Mary McComb, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Mrs. Odell Williams of Nashville, Tennessee,
   Funeral arrangements are pending at Buchanan Funeral Home, Oblong.

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Obituary of Mrs. Dale (JENKINS) BLYTHE, published 30 Jun 1978.
   Mrs. Dale Jenkins Blythe, 69, formerly of Robinson, died Thursday evening at Park View Memorial Hospital, Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
   Daughter of the late Chester and Alice Hilderbrand Jenkins, she is survived by her husband, Amos Blythe, and eight grandchildren.
   Also surviving are six brothers and sisters including Denzle and Kenneth (Bill) Jenkins, Mrs. Belva Figg, Mrs. Dorlis Drygalski and Mrs. Leona Ruse, all of Robinson, and Roy Jenkins, of Palestine.
   Funeral arrangements are pending at the Buchanan Funeral Home in Robinson.

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Obituary of Lela B. SLOAN, published 29 Jun 1978.
   Lela B. Sloan, 84, formerly of 601 N. Range, Oblong, died at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Newton Rest Haven.
   She was born in Jasper County Nov. 5, 1893, daughter of the late John and Maude Davis Sloan. She was a member of the Old Pleasant Valley Christian Church and was a retired Crawford County teacher.
   Surviving are several cousins.
   Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Buchanan Funeral Home in Oblong with the Rev. Carl Hall officiating. Burial will be in the Oblong Cemetery.
   Visitation will be for one hour preceding services.

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Obituary of Raymond T. FISHER, published 28 Jun 1978.
   Raymond T. Fisher, 48, former Crawford County resident, died Tuesday evening at Decatur Memorial Hospital after an extended illness.
   He is survived by his wife, Deane of Melmine, Ill.; two sisters, Mrs. Carl (Margaret) Catt of Stoy and Mrs. Virginia Fuller of Buchanan, Mich.; one brother, George M. Fisher of Niles, Mich.; two nieces and two great-nieces.
   Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the chapel of the Buchanan Funeral Home in Robinson. Interment will follow in the Robinson New Cemetery.
   Friends may call at Buchanan's after 4 p.m. Thursday.

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Obituary of Henry Dewey STEFFEY, published 30 Jun 1978.
   Henry Dewey Steffy, son of Kelley and Emma Steffy, was born August 6, 1899 in Hutsonville. He was married to Golda Bertha Weger December 19, 1923 at Lawrenceville with Rev. Logan Ford officiating.
   To this union one daughter, Mrs. Ray (Norma) Shaffar, was born. He was saved in 1923 and joined the Flat Rock Baptist Church in 1928. He was ordained a deacon in 1938 and served faithfully as long as his health permitted.
   Preceding him in death was his father, mother and one brother, Carson. Surviving him are his wife Golda, daughter, Norma, a devoted son-in-law, Ray, four grandchildren, Steve Shaffar, Paducah, Ky., Mrs. Cheryl Weyer, Lawrenceville, Mrs. Judy Bellinger, Charleston, W.Va., Mrs. Darla Tracy, Robinson, a great-grandson, Benjamin Shaffar, and a brother, Raymond, living in Robinson.
   He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

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Obituary of Melissa (HILLS) ATHEY
   Melissa Athey was born in Crawford County, Illinois, June 9, 1860. She was the daughter of Chancy and Deliza Meyers Hills. On August 27, 1882 she was married to Henry Oren Athey, who preceded her in death on March 27, 1917. To this union were born seven children; one daughter having died at the age of three, and a son, the late Floyd T. Athey of Nickerson, Kansas, having passed away October, 1952.
   She united with the Christian church when a young woman and never lost interest in the church, its program and her many Christian friends.
   Her early life was spent in Crawford County. In 1900 she with her husband and family, moved to a farm near Martinsville, Illinois, where they resided until 1908, when they moved into town.
   The past several years she has spent most of her time with her children. In November of 1947 she went to Portland, Oregon, to be with her daughter, Madge Nelson. Four days after arriving in Portland, she was stricken. However, she recovered sufficiently to enjoy many happy hours with her loved ones there. She passed away in Portland on March 23, 1953, at the age of 92 years, 9 months and 14 days.
   She leaves to mourn her: Mrs. J.O. McGinniss of Martinsville, Mrs. Eva Custis and Mrs. Madge Nelson of Portland, Oregon, Mr. Charles Athey of Enterprise, Kansas, and Mr. Arthur Athey of Vidor, Texas. Besides two grandchildren whom she raised after their mother's death, Mrs. Hilda MacDonald of Inglewood, California, and Clifford Athey of Dabajuro, Venezuela, she leaves 16 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, many nephews and nieces and a host of friends.

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Obituary of Mrs. Clara Belle (MAXWELL) WEGER.
Mrs. Belle Weger Dies Friday at Flat Rock
   Mrs. Belle Weger, 84, died Friday morning at 8:30 at the home of her son, Cecil Weger, in Flat Rock, following a short illness.
   Besides her son, she is survived by two nephews, Everett Maxwell of Flat Rock vicinity and Ralph Maxwell of Duncanville.
   Funeral services were held Sunday morning at 9 o'clock at the First Baptist church in Flat Rock with burial in the Jones Cemetery.
   Editor's Note: Although there was no date on the clipping of this article, it is known that Clara Belle Weger died April 3, 1953. 

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Obituary of Theodore R. LITTLEJOHN.
   Theodore R. Littlejohn, son of Tom Dane and Margaret Ann Littlejohn was born January 28, 1903, near Hardinsville, Ill., and departed this life November 3, 1954 at the age of 51 years and 11 months.
   He was united in marriage to Cora Milton. To this union seven children were born.
   Thomas Limen, Margaret Jane, Vivian Irene, James David, Cora Ann, Bonnie Louise and Robert Lee, and his wife, Cora, one daughter-in-law and one granddaughter, his mother, Mrs. Margaret Ann Littlejohn of Robinson, one sister, Bertha Taylor of Hardinsville, one brother Everett Littlejohn of Robinson, and two half-sisters, Lou Goff of Robinson, Beckie Thompson of Robinson, and three half-brothers, Roy Littlejohn of Oblong, Vern Littlejohn of Robinson, Jim Littlejohn of Hardinville and the husband of a deceased sister, Birdie, Irwin Catt and family of Hardinville.
   He is preceded in death by his father, one sister, Florence Goff, and one brother-in-law George Goff.
   He also leaves nieces, nephews and a host of friends who loved him dearly.

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Obituary of Harold E. MATHENY.
Harold E. Matheny, Bellair Merchant, Dies Monday in Terre Haute
   Harold E. Matheny, 49, prominent Bellair merchant, died at 8:55 p.m. Monday night at the Union Hospital in Terre Haute, following a short illness.
   He is survived by his wife, O'Letha; two daughters, Mrs. Shirley Williams of Robinson and Sharon at home; two brothers, Raymond Matheny of Yale and Cecil of Charleston; and two sisters, Mrs. Chrystal Updegraf of Vermillion, Ill., and Mrs. Luva Collins, Yale.

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