All Obituaries

Jacinta “Jaci” M. Nickelson, 71, of Urbana, IL, passed away at 7:13 PM, Thursday, July 18, 2019 with her family at her side.   Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM, Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at the Renner-Wikoff Chapel, 1900 S. Philo Rd., Urbana, IL, with burial to follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Urbana.  There will be a visitation one hour prior to the funeral (10-11 AM) at the funeral home.   Jackie was born June 27, 1948 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a...

Selma Katharine Richardson passed away at 1:30 p.m. on July 10, 2019 at Meadowbrook Health Center, Urbana, Illinois. She was born October 23, 1931 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was preceded in death by her parents John and Laura (Kuijala) Richardson and her sister, Laura I. Messing. Selma was Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign School of Information Science, where she specialized in services and materials for youth. Before coming to the University of...

Grace Christine (McCormick) Prestin Samford passed away July 14, 2019, age 96 at Willowbrook Memory Care, Savoy. Funeral arrangements are being made through Renner-Wikoff Chapel, 1900 S. Philo Road, Urbana. She was born May 6, 1923 on the family homestead in Stanton township, Urbana. Mrs. Prestin Samford was preceded by her parents, Fred and Josephine (Just) McCormick, husbands, Harry L Prestin and Clarence D. Samford, an infant sister, Nancy Marie, as well as one daughter, Margaret...

George Lynn Boise, 76, of Ogden passed away at 9:56 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2019 at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. A Memorial Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 18, 2019 at Renner-Wikoff Chapel in Urbana. Lynn was born in Champaign on December 3, 1942 to parents George Loren and E. Ruth (Bryant) Boise, they preceded him in death. He married Sharalon Digsby on May 18, 1964. They later divorced. On May 31, 1985 Lynn married Nancy Diel in Champaign, and...

Jess Lurnis Burwell, 85, of Paxton, formerly of Urbana passed away at 9:20 a.m. on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at Accolade Health Care of Paxton Senior Living Center. A Memorial Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Renner-Wikoff Chapel & Crematory in Urbana. Jess was born in Urbana on October 23, 1933 to parents Lurnis and Rosetta (Stonebreaker) Burwell, they preceded him in death. Also preceding him in death was his sister Wanda. On...

Stephen E. Brown, 69, of Mahomet, IL, passed away at 5:15 p.m., Thursday, July 11, 2019, at his residence. There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m., on Saturday, July 20, 2019, at The Chapel of Saint John the Divine, 1011 S. Wright St., Champaign, IL 61820. The Rev. Sean Ferrell will officiate. There will be a visitation with family at 1:00 PM, prior to the service. Stephen was born June 22, 1950 in Dixon, IL, a son of Earl and Lois (Elwood) Brown. He married Carolyn Huber on April 13,...

On July 4, 2019, Paul Dale Shaw, Professor Emeritus of the University of Illinois, passed away at the age of 87.  Paul was born August 12, 1931 in Morton, IL to Garnet and Jesse Shaw.  He received his B. S. from Bradley University and his Ph. D. from the University of Illinois.  After postdoctoral study at Harvard University, he returned to the faculty in Champaign-Urbana in 1960.   Paul Shaw made unique contributions to the biosynthesis of organic chloro and nitro...

John George Duffin, 82 of Champaign passed away at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday July 3, 2019 at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.  He was born January 24, 1937 in Paxton, a son of Robert and Florence Cleary Duffin.  He graduated from Paxton Community High School in 1955, and earned a Bachelors Degree in Adult Education from Eastern Illinois University and a Masters Degree in Extension Education from the University of Illinois.  He was employed by Waller Buick Company from 1955 to...

Joel Scott Merchen, 29, of Springfield, IL, was chosen to transition from this world on Saturday (June 29, 2019).   Joel was born May 23, 1990, at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, the son of Neal and Janet (Quitmeyer) Merchen.  He was preceded in death by grandparents Fred and Leona Merchen, and Ernest and Norine Quitmeyer. Joel is survived by mother Janet of Champaign; father Neal and wife Gloria Sax of Mahomet; two brothers, Brett Merchen of Elk Grove Village, and...

George Thomas Lewis, 82, passed away at 3:08 AM, Friday, June 28, 2019 at his residence in Champaign, IL.    George was born June 3, 1937 in Urbana, IL, a son of Burt and Jennie Lewis.  He married Sharon Jarvis on March 27, 1975 in Urbana.  George served in the United State Navy from 1955-1959.  George owned and operated BEST, Inc., a medical, dental and lab equipment company in Savoy, IL, for many years.    He is survived by his wife, one daughter,...