Melvin J. Johnson, 84, of Metamora, IL passed away at 3:06 am on Thursday, May 24, 2018 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.  He was born on March 21, 1934 in Peoria, IL to Harold F. and Garnet Opal (Krisher) Johnson.  He married Pauline Hallor on June 17, 1966 in Peoria, IL. Surviving are his wife Pauline of Metamora; son Tadd M. (Peggy) Johnson of Peoria; daughter Elizabeth D. (Billy) Vancil of Metamora; grandchildren Madison, Brody, and Allie Vancil and Jacob...

WASHINGTON-Ron Skinner, originally from Washington, passed away December 12, 2017, in Keller, TX, at the age of 78.  A respected pilot, husband, brother, father, grandfather and friend, Ron was well loved and is deeply missed. Ron was born September 10, 1939, in Fairbury to Dorothy and Earle Skinner, and was a 1957 graduate of Washington High School.  He attended the University of Illinois and was a 1961 graduate of Bradley University. Ron finished his...

Barry Allen Todden, age 54, of Bloomington, IL, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at Bloomington Rehabilitation and Health Care.  Barry is finally at peace after struggling for many years with an illness which limited his joy of life.  He was born on October 4, 1963, in Peoria, IL, the son of Jerry and Zerlean (Johnson) Todden.  Barry grew up in Metamora where he attended local schools and graduated from Metamora High...

WASHINGTON-On May 22, 2018, Elvira Heidrich Bannan, of Washington passed peacefully from this world at Unity Point Health Methodist -Peoria.  She was born in Idar Oberstien, Germany, May 17, 1935, during a very turbulent time in history.  Her life story was one of experiences that should have been documented in a memoir. Yet, only the people she loved and cared about the most, ever had the opportunity to hear them.   She was born to Herbert and...

Teresa S. “Teri” (Waterworth) Ford, 51, of Metamora, IL passed away at 5:55 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at Snyder Village in Metamora.  She was born on October 20, 1966 in Havana, IL to Kenneth and Doris A. (Waldschmidt) Waterworth.  She married Daniel A. Ford on September 9, 1989 in Metamora. Surviving are her husband Dan of Metamora; sons Austin (Ashley Bartlow) Ford of Metamora and Eric (Jenni Held) of Roanoke; grandson Krue and with another grandchild...

Myrtle M. Smith, 98, long-time teacher at Kelly Avenue School in Peoria Heights and even longer resident of Spring Bay Road, East Peoria, died on Monday, May 21, 2018, at 4:25 p.m. in Metamora. Myrtle was born June 17, 1919, on the family farm on the Little Wabash River near Crossville, Illinois, the youngest child of Jacob and Victoria (Barnes) Slankard. She married H. Herschel Smith on April 2, 1938, in Henderson, Kentucky, and they soon moved to East Peoria, or, as she termed it, she...

WASHINGTON-Mary E. Degenhart, 93, of Washington passed away at 9:26pm, Sunday, May 20, 2018, at Apostolic Christian Home-Eureka. She was born on August 15, 1924 in Chenoa, IL the daughter of Homer and Garnet Stevenson Dearth.  She married James E. Degenhart on December 27, 1946 in Chenoa, IL. He passed away on August 25, 2012.  She was also preceded in death by two brothers, Charles and Harold. Surviving are one daughter, Denise (Ron) Force of Metamora,...

Bernadine A. Whittington, 95, of Metamora, passed away 7:19pm Sunday, May 20, 2018, at Snyder Village Assisted Living-Memory Care surrounded by her family. Bernadine was born on December 23, 1922, the daughter of August and Emma (Meismer) Scheirer. She married Delmar E "Red" Whittington on November 27, 1948, at St Mary's Catholic Church in Metamora. He preceded her in death on May 14, 2008. She was also preceded in death by 4 brothers Melvin Scheirer, Harold...

William L. Wilson, 79, of Metamora, IL passed away at 10:20 am on Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria, IL.  He was born on November 3, 1938 in Towanda, IL to Ivy L. and Millie M. (Nutt) Wilson.  He married Judith A. Cook on June 7, 1959 in Metamora, IL.  She passed away on December 27, 2011. Surviving are daughters Tammy (David) Legel and Lori (the late Shane) Haller both of Morton; son Thomas (Jill) Wilson of Washington;...

Regina L. Hutchison, 58, of Chillicothe, passed away peacefully at 7:35am Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at her residence. She was born April 10, 1960 in Peoria the daughter of John and Patricia Kelly Hufeld.   Surviving are one daughter, Erin Ogborn, son in law Mohamed and three grandchildren Adam, Maria, Haneena.  Also surviving are six sisters Sheila, Ellen, Angie, Lynne, Rose, Kathryn “Kitty” two brothers Tim and John “Andy”, and...