Obituaries Monday December 9th

Elsie M. “Vicki” Liggett, 85, Burlington, died Sat 12/7 at the Great River Hospice House.

She is survived by a son, Terry of Burlington, 3 daughters, Carolyn Wagner and Susan Mueller of Burlington and Kimberly Graham of Ursa, IL.

Family will receive friends  following the Memorial Service in Fellowship Hall
11 a.m. Tuesday, December 10th, at First United Church of Christ
Burial will be  in the  Aspen Grove Cemetery at a later date.

Lunning Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

 

Eugene Warren “Earl J.” Gard III, 65, of La Harpe, IL, died at 11:10 PM Friday, December 6, 2013, at the Iowa City VA Medical Center in Iowa City.

 

Born August 21, 1948, in Hannibal, MO, he was the son of Eugene Warren and Rosalie Campfield Gard. On August 31, 1996, he married E. Arleen Lovell Mowen in LaHarpe, IL. She died February 19, 2013.

 

Eugene was a machinist for Burlington Northern Santa Fe  After the Burlington shops closed, he returned to school and received his degree in Heating/A.C.

 

He was a 1966 graduate of Palmyra High School.

 

He was a U.S. Navy Veteran, serving during the Vietnam War from 1966 until 1970.

 

He was a member of the Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge, Fraternal Order of the Eagles Burlington Aerie 150, American Legion of Palmyra, and NRA. He bought nothing unless it was American made.  He was a go big or go home kind of guy.  He and Arleen used to love to go dancing.  He was an avid junker.  He loved trains, collecting them and took great pride in his children and grandchildren.  He and his sister and his first born grandson shared an August 21st birth date.  

 

Survivors include two daughters, Stephanie (Ben Ralph) McEntee of Niota, IL, and Amanda (Marcus) Twillie of West Burlington; one son, Jeremy Gard of Burlington; one brother, Bob (Sherry) Gard of Palmyra, MO, four sisters, his twin Patty (Bill) Hess of Palmyra, MO, Peggy (Don) Mayfield of Quincy, IL, Terry (Richard) Conner of Palmyra, MO, and Mary (Barbara) Gard of Tucson, AZ; and several nieces and nephews.

 

Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents.

 

Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Thielen Crematory.

 

The memorial service for Mr. Gard will be 1:00 PM Sunday, December 15, 2013, at American Legion in Palmyra, MO with Pastor Ephriam Twillie officiating.

 

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established for the Wounded Warrior Project.  

 

Thielen Funeral Home & Crematory is in care of the arrangements.

 

Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting Eugene’s obituary at www.thielenfuneralhome.com.

 

Evelyn Settles Bunt of Stronghurst, Illinois passed away at 4:56 a.m. on Saturday December 7, 2013 in the OakLaneNursing & RehabCenter in Stronghurst.

Evelyn Bunt was born in Marion County, Kentucky, on November 2, 1915, to Katie Bowman (formerly Boarman) Settles and Pagie Hamilton Settles.  Evelyn was the first of fourteen children born to Katie and Pagie.  When Evelyn was two years of age, her family moved to the Adair-Industry, Illinois area.  At five years of age, Evelyn began her formal education in a one-room school–walking the muddy roads by herself.  She continued to attend one-room schools and graduated from grade school in 1928. She attended Industry (Illinois) High School for two years and then completed her high school education at Good Hope (Illinois) High School after her family moved to a farm in that area.  She graduated from high school in 1933.  Evelyn attended WesternIllinoisUniversity for three years—while there, she met Don Ronald Bunt, a high school teacher at Colchester, Illinois.  They were married July 26, 1936, in McDonough Co, Illinois.

Evelyn and Don lived in Colchester, Illinois, while Don taught agriculture at the local high school.  Three sons were born to them:  Robert Gene in 1937, Don Duane in 1941 and Jerry William in 1942.  While in Colchester, Evelyn was active in the ColchesterMethodistChurch where she taught a Sunday School Class.  She participated in the Colchester Women’s Club and was a leader of a Girls 4-H Sewing Club.  She was a bride member of the Colchester Home Bureau and Home Extension.

In 1943, Don, Evelyn and boys moved to Stronghurst, Illinois where Don had accepted a position to teach agriculture at StronghurstHigh School.  Awhile after arriving in Stronghurst, the Bunts bought a local drug sundry store and operated it for several years as Bunt’s Rexall Store.  Don had only begun a new career as a life insurance agent when he was stricken with a severe heart attack, at age 46, and was no longer able to work. He died four years later in 1960.

Evelyn was primarily a homemaker until Don’s heart attack.  When Don became disabled she began taking college classes and was employed to teach music to students in two one-room schools at Disco and Durham, Illinois.  She accepted a full-time position as the teacher at BradshawSchool, a one-room school, in Durham, Illinois.  She continued taking college classes toward her teaching degree at night and during summers while teaching during the school year.  In 1961, the BradshawSchool became part of Consolidated School District (CSD) 335.  Evelyn taught for 21 ½ years in the LaHarpe, Illinois, CSD 335, retiring in 1991.  In 1963, she received her BS degree from Carthage (Illinois) College, the same year Robert and Don Duane received degrees from WesternIllinoisUniversity (Robert an MS and Don Duane a BS).

Evelyn was involved in several professional activities related to her position as an elementary school teacher, her interest in the arts, particularly the drawing and painting of pictures, and her interest in genealogy.  She was a charter member of the Gamma Lambda Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an organization for teachers.  She was a member of Art Guilds of Burlington, Iowa, and Monmouth, Illinois, and completed several art production classes to learn various techniques of painting and drawing pictures. Evelyn conducted genealogy research on both the Settles and Bunt families and communicated with many persons to share various findings.

While Evelyn was teaching she was also active in the community—serving as a volunteer.  She was a member of the Henderson County Board of the American Cancer Society and Chairperson of the HendersonCounty “Door-to-Door” campaign which distributed literature and raised money to fight cancer.

Over the years Evelyn lived in Stronghurst, she was involved in numerous social activities.  She was especially fond of her membership in the Henderson County Home and Community Education.  In the early Fifties she and Don were members of a Pinochle Club.  She also attended numerous events, including performances by “Big Bands,” at the Civic Auditorium in Burlington, Iowa.  She was always proud to see her sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren perform in theatrical and sporting events and participate in educational programs.

Evelyn was a member of the Stronghurst United Methodist Church (UMC) since coming to Stronghurst in 1943.  The UMC played a large part in Evelyn’s life–over the years she was an active member, serving in numerous ways. She taught a Sunday School Class, played the organ for the youth choir, and led the Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF).  At one point the MYF had thirty members.  She was an active member of the United Methodist Women—she held several offices and made many presentations to various Circle Groups. She was quite good at making presentations and could memorize a talk after “writing it out.”   She participated in Bible study whenever possible.

After retiring, Evelyn kept quite busy.  She began her own art shop in her home where she taught painting and sold her work.  Two of her paintings, “Cannon in the Park” and “Sante Fe Railroad Station” were printed and many copies sold—an honor of which Evelyn was very proud.  Evelyn was a member of the Henderson County Retired Teachers.  She entered numerous items (cakes, cookies, flowers, paintings and quilts) for judging at the Henderson County Fair–Evelyn was a formidable competitor.  Evelyn liked to sew.  She made quilts for all of her great grandchildren and sewed a special “Underground Railroad” quilt which she used when she gave talks on the “Underground Railroad” to several local organizations.  She explained how quilts were used to help slaves escape from the South to the North prior to and during the Civil War.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents:  Katie and Pagie Settles; her husband:  Don Ronald Bunt; her daughter-in-law:  Marilyn Marie (Don Duane) Brade Miller Bunt, PhD, of Orland Park, IL; three sisters:  Dorothy Settles (died as an infant), Emma Welty of Macomb and Wanda (Mac) (Milford, deceased) McRaven of San Diego, CA;  five brothers:  J.T. (Mary, deceased) Settles of Winfield, IA, Leslie (Dorothy) Settles of Mt. Pleasant, IA, Fremond Settles of Macomb, IL, Howard (Marilyn) Settles of Macomb, IL and Audrey (Gene) (Pat, deceased) Settles of San Francisco, CA; a great granddaughter: Jennifer Kearns of Huntley, IL; and a niece:  Karla Shive of Galesburg, IL.

Evelyn is survived by her three sons:  Robert Gene (Nancy) Bunt, PhD, of Huntley, IL, Don Duane (Marilyn, deceased) Bunt, EdD, of Orland Park, IL and Jerry William (Bonnie) Bunt, EdS, of Dixon, IL; four sisters:  Maxine (Cecil) Hilton of La Harpe, IL, Barbara (Delwyn) Combs of Sciota, IL, Joanne (Robert, deceased) Arnold of Colchester, IL and Janice (Jack) Shive of Galesburg, IL; one brother:  Dale (Jean) Settles of Blandinsville, IL; eight grandchildren; and eighteen great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 5:30 until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday December 11th at Banks & Beals Funeral Home in Stronghurst, and Thursday from 9:30 until 10:30 a.m. at the StronghurstUnitedMethodistChurch.  Funeral services for Evelyn Bunt will be held at the StronghurstUnitedMethodistChurch  on Thursday December 12, 2013 at 10:30 a.m.  There will be a luncheon immediately following the service at the church. Evelyn will be buried at MountAuburnCemetery on North Coal Street, County Highway 8, in Colchester, IL

            For years, Evelyn has been donating to Esperanca, a charity providing health and hope for the world’s poor through health and development projects and a volunteer surgical program in more than fourteen countries around the world, including the United States.  The Stronghurst Ambulance Service has transported Evelyn on numerous occasions over several years, many times saving her life.  The Bunt Family is very appreciative to all Ambulance Service personnel who have been involved in her transport and heartily thanks all those who have provided this valuable service.  The Bunt Family has chosen Esperanca and the Stronghurst Ambulance Service to receive memorial contributions in Evelyn’s name.  Contributions are welcomed and may be mailed to the Bunt Family, Box 322, Dixon, IL61021.           

            Condolences for the family may be left at www.banksandbeals.com.