Julie Bokker Butler, 54, of Byron, died Saturday July 31, 2010 in Swedish-American Hospital, Rockford. She was born January 9, 1956 in Belvidere, IL the daughter of Donald & Cletus Swartz Bokker, Sr. Julie was a 1974 graduate of Byron High School. She married Jeffrey T. French in Rockton, IL; he died in 1997. Julie was employed for many years at Quality Metal Finishing Co. and enjoyed cooking, decorating, and landscaping. She is survived by her son, Brent Rockwood (Amanda Fuller); father, Don Bokker, Sr.; brothers, John (Shelly) Bokker and Don Bokker, Jr. all of Byron; and nieces and nephews, Melissa, Bret & Brok. Also predeceased by her mother, Cletus Bokker. Visitation will be held Thursday August 5, 2010 from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, 506 W. Merchant St., Byron. Private inurnment will be in Stillman Valley Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established in her name.

John Thomas Timm, 75, died Saturday, July 31, surrounded by his devoted family. He served as the utmost example of courage throughout his hard-fought battle with cancer, keeping his family laughing until the very end. He was born January 6, 1935, in Rockford to William A. and Rose (Slapinski) Timm, graduated from St. Thomas High School, and attended Marquette University. He was married to his high school sweetheart, Dolores (Lori) James, for over 57 years. John began his career at Barber Coleman and retired from Atwood Mobile Product Division. John and Lori lived in Rockford before moving to Byron in 2003. Their eight children attended St. Bernadette’s and Boylan in Rockford. He is survived by his wife, Lori; children Michael (Kathy), Patrick (Betsy), John (Linda), Mary (Shannon) Steffey, Dana (Brenda), Philip (Patty), Daniel (Carolyn), Kristina (Joseph) Cascio; and niece Connie (Tom) Murphy, whom John lovingly referred to as his third daughter. John is also survived by his brother Bill (Barb) Timm and niece Nina. John was proud of his 19 grandchildren, whose accomplishments are testament to the dedication John showed his own children. Matthew (Alison), Justin, Andrew, Kathleen, Bryan, Sarah, Lauren, Ashley, Jennifer, Danielle, Nicole, John, Margaret, Mackenzie, Abigail, Mikayla, Grace, Ethan, and Marisa loved and will miss their Grandpa Timm, who was looking forward to meeting his first great-grandchild in January. John was preceded in death by his parents, William and Rose; his wife’s parents, Frank and Katherine James; and dear friends from Rockford. He was considered the slickest-fielding shortstop around during his 25 years in the Rockford Area Industrial Fastpitch League and coached numerous St. Bernadette’s sports teams. He raised and trained champion standard schnauzers and always had a dog by his side, including his most recent, Cinder. If John wasn’t out on the golf course, he was probably in his back garden tending to his prized hosta collection. His family will always remember apple-picking excursions and trips to Lake Jordan, where John grudgingly let them drive his boat, the ULTIMM8. Unlike his beloved Cubs, John fought courageously to the end of the game. The family will always appreciate the care and respect John received at the Ogle County Hospice Serenity Home, where the staff made it possible for the Timm family to continue being Timms.In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Ogle County Hospice or St. Mary’s Church in Byron. Visitation will be at the Farrell Holland Gale Funeral Home in Stillman Valley on Wednesday, August 4, from 5-8pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, August 5, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Byron at 10am with Father Sylvester Nnaso, pastor celebrating

LEAF RIVER – Henry R. Ebert, 81, of Leaf River, died Wednesday July 28, 2010 in Swedish-American Hospital, Rockford. Born June 27, 1929 in Walworth, Wis., the son of Henry E. and Alice (Cates) Ebert. Married to Eileen Hall June 25, 1976 in Oregon. Henry was a 1949 graduate of Woodstock High School and was a lifetime dairy farmer. He was a member of the Leaf River Grange and attended All Saints Lutheran Church in Byron. Henry loved spending time with his family and giving his grandchildren tractor rides and also enjoyed fishing. Survived by his wife, Eileen of Leaf River; daughters, JoAnn D’Agostin of Janesville, Wis. and Shelly Williams of Rockton; sons, Roger Ebert of Roscoe, Hank (Penny) Ebert of Leaf River, Larry (Joni) Tate of Minnesota and Randy (Pam) Tate of Sycamore; several grandchildren and great grandchildren; sister, Harriett Allen of Hampshire; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by his parents. Services will be held at 11:00am Monday August 2 in All Saints Lutheran Church, Byron, with Rev. Scott Schmidt, pastor, officiating. Burial in Byron Cemetery. Visitation Sunday 3:00-6:00pm in Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, Byron. A memorial fund has been established.

Patricia Ann Coil, 77, died Tuesday July 20, 2010 in her home in Mt. Morris. She was born July 12, 1933 in Franklin Grove, the daughter of Reuben & Helen Taft Barnhart, Sr.. She was a former employee of Caron Spinning in Oregon and was a waitress at several restaurants in Oregon and Mt. Morris. She is survived by daughters, Nancy Coil of Oswego and Tracy (Jerry) Thies of Rockford; sons, Richard Coil of Oregon and Ronald Coil of Mt. Morris; granddaughter, Alicia (Brian) Moore; great grandchildren, Ariana & Alex Moore; and brother, Reuben (Dolores) Barnhart, Jr. of Oregon. She was preceded in death by her parents, son, Donald, and sister Jackie. Memorial services Saturday July 31, 2010 at 11:00 AM in Oregon Church of God, with Pastor Michael Hoffman officiating, followed by a luncheon at church. Memorials may be directed to the church.

Dolores E. Paul, 103, of Rockford, formerly of Oregon, died Thursday July, 15, 2010 in her home. She was born January 11, 1907 in Del Rosa, San Bernardino County, CA the daughter of Joseph E. & Maria M. Escalante Lopez. She married Victor H. Paul in Santa Anna, CA on Nov. 9, 1932; he died in 1981. Dolores was a member of St. Edward’s Catholic Church, retired from National Lock, and raised her family in Oregon & Rockford after coming from San Bernardino & Anaheim, CA. She loved cooking, caring, and giving to each and every one of her “many” children. Survivors include sons, James Paul and Donald (Jeanneil) Paul, of Rockford; grandchildren, Dan, Deb, Dolores, Diane, David, Dennis, Kim, Tracey, Jamie, & Jennifer; 14 great grandchildren; and 2 great great grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Helen Nabozny, and 8 brothers & sisters. Funeral services will be held Tuesday July 20, 2010 at 1:00 PM in the Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, 110 S. 7th St., Oregon with Father Richard Kramer, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church, officiating. Visitation will be held Tuesday from Noon until time of service. Burial will be in Grand Detour Cemetery.

Rock Falls – Chestine Huckaba, age 80, went to be with her Lord and savior on Wednesday, July 14, 2010. She was born December 20, 1929 in Armorel, Arkansas the daughter of John and Alma (Pyron) Rimmer. She married Chester Holman in 1953; he passed on July 31, 1991. Chestine then married Orville Huckaba in 1994; who passed on December 15, 2009. She retired from AT&T where she worked as a telephone operator. She was an active member of Harvest Time Bible Church in Rock Falls, where she loved having the opportunity to serve her Lord. She also enjoyed spending the winter months in Florida, shopping and being surrounded by her family and friends who will miss her dearly. She is survived by her brothers, Troy (Gladys) Rimmer of Paragould, AR, and Coy (Dorothy) Rimmer of West Memphis, AR; sisters, Christine Holland of Rock Falls, and Mildred McClain of Indian Bay, AR, and many nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Chester and Orville and sister Ruth Hendryx. The funeral will be held Monday July 19, 2010 at 12:00PM at Harvest Time Bible Church with Pastor Dalmus Meeks officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM at the church. Burial will be in Oak Knoll Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Harvest Time Bible Church. Farrell Holland Gale funeral home assisted the family with arrangements.

Scott Earl Blanchard, 49, of Rockford, formerly of Byron, died Wed. July 7, 2010 in Rockford, IL. He was born Sept. 7, 1960 in Rockford, the son of Lyle & Joanne Nelson Blanchard. He was a 1978 graduate of Byron High School and received his Associates Degree at Rock Valley College and a Bachelors Degree from Judson University. He was a very dedicated and interested employee at Rockford Career College where he was the IT Department head. He repaired many computers for students, family, and friends. Scott was an avid Packer fan and also an avid coin collector. Survivors include his daughter, Kristin Blanchard and son-in-law, Nicholas Sutherland of Rockford and her mother, Velinda Blanchard of Winnebago; grandson, Trevor Sutherland; sister, Annisa Blanchard of Byron and her children Adam (Kelly) Viel of Seward and Malachi Viel of Winnebago and their father, David Viel of Winnebago; and cousin and best friend, Steve “Dewey” Abney of Rockford and his daughter, Erika (David) Labak of Rockford. He was preceded in death by his parents. Visitation will be held Sunday July 11, 2010 from 2:00-5:00 PM, with a memorial service at 5:00 PM, in the Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, 506 W. Merchant St., Byron. Private family graveside services in Byron Cemetery at a later date. A memorial fund is being established for a scholarship at Rockford Career College.

Dr. Janice L. Woodhouse, 63, left this earth today to enter another. She died on July 1, 2010 at Rockford Memorial Hospital. Jan was a master teacher. She taught elementary and junior high school in Illinois and Arizona and at the college level at Arizona State University, Sauk Valley College, and Northern Illinois University (NIU). She earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Illinois State University and NIU. She recently earned an Ed. D. degree in Adult and Higher Education. As a community servant leader she contributed to many organizations and projects. In 1984 she was recognized as Feminist of the Year by the Rockford Area/National Organization For Women and as an Outstanding Alumni by the Lorado Taft Field Campus of NIU in 1992. She published several journal articles and book chapters in the professional place-based and adult education literature. She is survived by her parents, Nadine and John Funk of Bement, IL, sister, Judi Gregory (Dwight) of Bement, IL and Linda Kirgan (John) of Pekin, IL. Although she never birthed her own children, she served as an other-mother to many in her family and in the schools where she taught. She is also survived by stepchildren, Jenny Franz, Eve Knapp, and Dawn Martel, and niece Karrie Burdette and nephews, Jeremiah Gregory and Joshua Gregory. There are too many cousins, ex-students, and friends to name, but they know who they are. In addition she is survived by her life-partner of 31 years, Cliff Knapp. Visitation at the Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, 110 S. 7th St., Oregon, IL from 2:00 – 4:00 PM on Monday, July 5th. The memorial service will begin at 4:00 PM following the visitation. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be directed toward the Nature Conservancy and the Thresholds in Education Foundation at NIU. Since arrangements have been made by the Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, send memorial tributes and condolences to them at P.O. Box 68, Oregon, IL 61061. Visitation will also be held at the First United Methodist Church in Bement, IL on Monday July 12th from 4:30-6:00 PM, immediately followed by a memorial service.

Leaf River – Esther Viola (Cuplin) Munk, age 94, passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior Thursday July 1, 2010 in her home in Leaf River. Esther was born June 25, 1916 in Byron the daughter of Harry and Nettie (Moore) Cuplin and Lester Knappy. She graduated from Byron High School in 1934. She married her first husband, Howard McKinley in 1934. They had four children together before Howard passed away in 1947. She then married Louis Munk on May 15, 1954 and they lived happily for 49 years together. Esther was passionate about sewing, birthday club, camping and helping others. She was a member of the Leaf River United Methodist Church and Jerry Wickman American Legion Auxiliary. Survivors include her four children, Connie (Richard) Kretsinger of Leaf River, Sandra (Larry) Zellers of Leaf River, Terry McKinley of Rockford and David McKinley of Leaf River; 12 loving grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, 7 great-great grandchildren and another great-great grandchild due any day; brother in law, Lester (Juanita) Munk and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, two infant daughters, three sisters, Vivian, Thelma and Elsie, great granddaughter Monica Zellers, great grandson Adam Zellers, and husbands Howard McKinley and Louis Munk. The funeral will be at 11:00 AM Tuesday July 6, 2010 at the Leaf River United Methodist Church with Pastor Kent Svendson officiating. Burial will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Garden in Freeport. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral at the church from 10:00AM – 11:00 AM. Memorial to be established. Special thanks to Hospice Nurses, Pat and Sue and her caregiver, Gerelmaa, Dr. Juliette Kalweit and Dr. Robert Johnson and Ogle County Hospice for their care and support.

Arthur Bergner, 88, died June 28, 2010 at Rolling Green Village in Greenville, South Carolina. He was born January 17, 1922 in Oregon, Illinois the son of Walter and Blenda Bergner. He married Marion Warner in Rockford in Oct. 1944; she died in 2000. Art lived his entire life as a resident of Oregon. He graduated from Oregon High School in 1940, attended the University of Illinois and served as an aviator in the Army Air Corps during World War II. An electrician most of his working life, he was a member of the VFW, Lions Club, IBEW and Masonic Lodge.
Survived by sons Steve (Christine) of Brevard, NC, Greg (Jean) of South Lake Tahoe, CA, Brad (Barb) of Burnsville, MN, Richard (Jeri) of Carlsbad, CA, and daughter Lori (Alan) Stegall of Greer, SC. Also surviving are 13 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m Tuesday, August 3rd at the Oregon VFW, 1310 W Washington Street with a luncheon to follow. Memorials preferred to the Oregon VFW Post 8739, 1310 W Washington Street, Oregon IL 61061 or Ogle County Historical Society, 111 North Sixth Street, P.O. Box 183, Oregon IL 61061.