Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Tuesday, Jun 22, 2021
WHITESIDE NEWS
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OBITUARIES WALTER M. HEATH SR.
IA, to Emil and Sophia (Harringa) Ouderkerk. She was educated in the Fenton, IL grade school and graduated from Morrison High School. On September 12, 1971 she married MORRISON – Walter Douglas Meyer in Fenton, IL. He died January 30, 2011. Ruth was employed at Markman M. Heath Sr., 80, of Peat in Fenton. She was a former member of Morrison, IL, died the Fenton United Methodist Church, where Sunday, June 13, 2021 she taught Sunday school from 1972 to 2016. at the University of She also taught Vacation Bible School and Wisconsin Hospital in helped her husband, Doug, with head usher Madison, WI. duties. She enjoyed canning, sewing and A private visitation and funeral service have been held. A private spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and attending their various interment was at Grove Hill Cemetery in activities they were involved in. Morrison. The Morrison chapel of the Survivors include one daughter, Pamela Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home is in charge of (Larry) Eads of Fenton; four grandchildren, arrangements. Noah (fiancée Sydney Shearer) Eads, Abigail A memorial has been established. Eads, Sophia Eads and Caleb Eads; one sister, Walter was born September 5, 1940 in Mary (Robert) Huggins of Fenton; and four Morrison to Charles and Ethel (Kelly) Heath. He was educated in the Morrison schools. On brothers, David Ouderkerk of Morrison, Harvey (Trish) Ouderkerk of Yuma, AZ, Larry November 27, 1957 he married Beverly Joan Anderson in Clinton, IA. Walter worked for the Ouderkerk of Morrison and Gary Ouderkerk of Morrison. City of Morrison for 37 years as the superinShe was preceded in death by her parents; tendent of the water department. He enjoyed her husband, Doug; and two brothers, Albert sports, especially the Indiana Colts and the Atlanta Braves. He also enjoyed horse racing and Leroy Ouderkerk. To send online condolences, go to www. and liked going for car rides. bosmarenkes.com. Survivors include four children, Tammy (Steve Blair) Kuehl of Morrison, Walter JERRY ANN ASHBY “Butch” Heath Jr. of Morrison, Shaunda (Todd) Tiesman of Albany, IL and Traci (Rick) Born: October 30, 1936; Dixon Died: May 13, 2021; Mesa, Arizona Kuehl of Morrison; four grandchildren, Devin Heath, Ty Tiesman, Trae (Peyton) Tiesman MESA, AZ – Jerry and Teagen Kuehl; eight great-grandchildren; Ann Ashby, 84, of and three brothers, John “Jack” Heath of Rock Mesa, AZ, formerly of Falls, Robert M. Heath, of Thomson, IL and Morrison, IL, died Larry G. Heath of Morrison. Thursday, May 13, He was preceded in death by his parents; 2021 at Springdale his wife, Beverly; two grandchildren in Village in Mesa. infancy, Zachary Lee and Miranda JoAnn Cremation rites Kuehl; three sisters, Doris Weeks, Betty Harris have been accorded. A memorial Mass and Peggy Cherry; and four brothers, Jerry service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Heath, Lloyd Shepard, Richard Shepard Sr. June 25, 2021 at St. Anne’s Episcopal and Charles Heath Jr. Church in Morrison with Rev. Fr. James To send online condolences go to www. Brzezinski, pastor of St. Anne’s Episcopal bosmarenkes.com. Church, officiating. The Morrison chapel of RUTH E. MEYER the Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Interment will be Born: June 20, 1948; Forest City, Iowa at Grove Hill Cemetery in Morrison, IL. Died: June 15, 2021; Morrison A memorial has been established to White Oaks Therapeutic Equestrian Center in MORRISON – Ruth Morrison. Elaine Meyer, 72, of Jerry Ann was born October 30, 1936 in Morrison, IL, died Tuesday, June 15, 2021 Dixon, IL to Jerry W. and Ruth Ann (Paith) Meakins. She was educated in Morrison at Resthave Home in schools and was a graduate of Morrison Morrison, IL. A memorial service High School. She also attended Highland was Saturday, June 19, Community College, where she graduated in 2021 at the Morrison chapel of the Bos1972, and also attended Shimer College and ma-Renkes Funeral Home. Interment will be Northwestern Illinois University. at Grove Hill Cemetery in Morrison. On September 19, 1954, she married A memorial has been established. Donald R. Ashby. They resided in Savanna, Ruth was born June 20, 1948, in Forest City, IL until 1972 when the family moved to Born: September 5, 1940; Morrison Died: June 13, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin
Thomson. After the death of Donald in 1998, Jerry Ann continued spending winters in Apache Junction, AZ, where she met and married Milford Darr Olson on October 2, 1999. Jerry Ann taught outdoor education pioneer skills at Taft Campus in Oregon in 1984, and she was employed for 8 years at Warren Cheese Plant as a sales representative and marketing until retiring in 1999. She also enjoyed working at several newspapers .including Carroll County and Quad City Times under the byline “Miles to Go by Jerry Ashby,” which specialized in tourism and human interest stories. She was a 50-year member of the Girl Scouts, starting as a Brownie and after being a girl member became an adult volunteer leading troops of Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes and Seniors for many years. She worked for 10 years as a professional Girl Scout field director and public relations director for Green Hills Girls Scout Council in Freeport, IL. She was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Savanna. Survivors include one daughter, Valareena DeSpain of Thomson; one son, John Lyle (Kelly Bethard) Ashby of Apache Junction, AZ; four granddaughters, Angela (Joe) Taylor of Thomson, Carrissa (Tommy) Groen of Highland, IN, August Ashby of Chicago, IL and Audrie Ashby of Freeport, IL; five great-grandchildren, Aidan Taylor, Lucas Groen, Savanna Groen, Hayley Groen and Johnathon Groen; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Donald Ashby and Darr Olson; and one brother, Alan Ray Walters. To send online condolences, go to www. bosmarenkes.com.
training at Ft. Benning, GA, and had also completed airborne training. He was a Private – E4 SPC. For many years, Riley worked for J & M (Kophamer) Farms. He was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Morrison. In high school, he wrestled, and played football and baseball. Riley loved to be on the farm and also enjoyed spending time with his friends and family. Survivors include his parents, Todd and Susan Wilkens of Morrison; one brother, Luke Wilkens of Morrison; maternal grandmother, Marilyn Habben of Morrison; paternal grandmother, Velma Dean of Morrison; paternal grandfather, Gene (Elaine) Wilkens of Firestone, CO; many aunts, uncles and cousins. Also surviving is his favorite dog, Deno. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Arlyn Habben and his paternal stepgrandfather, Sam Dean. To send online condolences, go to www. bosmarenkes.com.
PATRICIA C. MEIER
Born: May 24, 1948; Zelzate, Belgium Died: June 16, 2021; Erie
ERIE – Patricia C. Meier, 73, of Erie, Illinois, died Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at home. Her wishes were to be cremated. There will be no services at this time. Burial will be in the Erie Cemetery at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Erie Fire Department. Patricia was born on May 24, 1948 in Zelzate, Belgium, the daughter of Raymond RILEY A. WILKENS A. and Maria (Willems) VanHamme. She Born: September 1, 2001 married Frank Meier on November 26, 1966 Died: June 15, 2021 at St. Ambrose Church in Erie, where she was a longtime member. Pat enjoyed MORRISON – Riley fishing, quilting and going on motorcycle A. Wilkens, 19, of rides with her husband Frank Morrison, IL, died She is survived by her husband, Frank Tuesday, June 15, Meier of Erie; daughters, Theresa (Dirk) 2021 at his home. Rockhold of Walcott, IA, Kelly (Christopher) The funeral service Cook of Jackson, MO; brother, Richard was Monday, June 21, VanHamme of Erie; sister, Vicki (Mike) 2021 at St. Peter Fontenoy of Erie; seven grandchildren, Lutheran Church in Morrison. Interment was Andrew (Nikita) Janssen, Lydia Janssen, at Grove Hill Cemetery, Morrison. Bryce Rockhold, Jennifer (Jerod) Andrews, A memorial has been established by the Zachary Cook, J.D. Fecht, and Ryan Fecht; family. and seven great-grandchildren, Sebastian, Riley was born September 1, 2001 in Noah, Beau, Hunter, Grace, Elijah, and Jakob. Sterling, IL, to Todd and Susan (Habben) Pat was preceded in death by her parents Wilkens. He attended Morrison grade and her sister, Chris Weiss. schools and graduated from Morrison High Share a memory or condolence at www. School in 2020. Riley joined the National gibsonbodefh.com. Guard as a high school junior in November of 2018. He completed basic and AIT • Continued on page 12
