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Bradley Hilltopics
In Memory  

Winter 2006 • Volume 12, Issue 1

1930s

Eloise Preisel Leezer ’34, May 31, 2005, Phoenix, Arizona. Survivors include two children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Robert Heiden ’37, July 16, 2005, Concord, North Carolina. He had retired from Szolds department store as vice president and earlier worked for the Peoria Journal Transcript. He had been president of the Creve Coeur Club and chairman of the Peoria Airport Authority board. A World War II veteran, he had served in the Army Air Forces. Survivors include his wife Polly, two children, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

1940s

Kenneth Kime ’41, August 3, 2005, Peoria. He worked at Caterpillar Inc. for 44 years, retiring from the heat treat department in 1973. He has served as president of the Boxer Club and was a member of several kennel clubs. His wife Lois survives.
Charlotte Day Witt ’41, June 21, 2005, Elgin. She was employed by the Sinclair Pharmacy and The Village Pharmacy in West Dundee for many years. Survivors include three children, nine grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Bob Herbst ’43, July 29, 2005, Fort Morgan, Colorado. He retired from Clatworth Co. in 1983. Earlier he owned and operated an Enco gas station. His wife Betty, two daughters, and two grandchildren survive.

Edwin Klump ’43, July 21, 2005, Mackinaw. After 30 years at Caterpillar Inc., he retired in 1980 from sales and marketing as an earthmoving consultant. He was a lieutenant in the Navy during World War II. At Bradley he was a member of Beta Phi Theta. Surviving are three daughters, several grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

James McGinn ’43, August 31, 2005, Camp Grove. He had farmed and was a carpenter for many years. He had been a volunteer fireman. A World War II Army veteran, he was the recipient of a Bronze Star. Survivors include eight children, 17 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Louise Strickfaden Rarick ’43, August 24, 2005, Norman, Oklahoma. She held a degree from the University of Illinois, and had been an elementary school teacher for several years. Her son, two grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter survive.

Robert L. Donovan ’44, June 27, 2005, Washington. An optometrist in central Illinois for 56 years, he retired from Pearle Vision. He served on the Peoria County Board from 1963 to 1968. A talented tennis player, he represented Illinois in golf in the national Senior Olympics in 1997. He was a World War II Marine Corps veteran. Surviving are his wife Rita, seven children, and 13 grandchildren.

Charles Dillard ’49, August 31, 2005, Canton. He held a pharmacy degree from the University of Iowa. He owned and operated Orange Lake Drug Store in Largo, Florida before retiring. Later he worked at Health Mart in Farmington. He was a World War II Army Air Forces veteran. His wife Eileen, daughter, and grandson survive.

Richard Pottker ’49, July 9, 2005, Peoria. He worked in advertising at Caterpillar Inc., retiring in 1980. He was a World War II Army veteran. Survivors include his wife Dorothy.

William Spielman ’49, July 17, 2005, Seward. He was a methods engineer at Barber-Colman for 35 years and then worked at Seward Screw Products. A volunteer with the Seward fire department for 47 years, Bill had served as assistant fire chief and as a trustee. He was a World War II Navy veteran. Survivors include his wife Doris, five children, 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

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1950s

Donald Antle ’50, July 31, 2005, Peoria. He retired from Caterpillar Inc. in 1988 and had been a data processing manager at the Belgium plant from 1968 to 1971. He was a World War II Navy veteran. Survivors include his wife Joyce Anno Antle ’49, two children, and four grandchildren.

Eugene McCallister ’50, July 13, 2005, Atlanta, Georgia. He served as a pastor at various churches across the nation. Most recently he was interim pastor at Temple Baptist Church in Rockford. He held a doctoral degree from Denver Theological Seminary and was a World War II Navy veteran. Surviving are his wife Ruth, three children, four grandsons, and six great-grandchildren.

Richard McLinden ’50, July 11, 2005, Houston, Texas. He had worked for Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Dallas, and Houston since 1954. He retired in 1987 as a regional engine sales representative. He was a past president of the Pioneer Oil Producers Society. A World War II Army Air Forces veteran, he had been inducted into the Greater Peoria Area Sports Hall of Fame for high school football. Survivors include his wife Joan, three children, and four grandchildren.

Francis Delaney ’51, July 28, 2005, San Antonio, Texas. He was a retired Air Force major. During World War II he served in the Army. His family became avid travelers after being stationed in several states, including Colorado, Alabama, and Hawaii, as well as Canada. Survivors include his wife Patricia Coogan Delaney ’51, three children, and five grandchildren.

Donald Seghi ’51, August 28, 2005, San Jose, California. He had been a real estate agent in San Francisco. Don was a charter member of Delta Upsilon.

Loren Jensen ’52, August 2, 2005, McDonald, Ohio. He retired from U.S. Steel in 1982 and then worked as a consultant for McDonald Steel. Loren was active in Masonic work and his church. He had served on the McDonald school board. At Bradley he was a member of Theta Xi. Surviving are his wife Betty Hess Jensen ’49, two sons, and two grandsons.

Virgil Conner ’53, April 10, 2005, Lakeland, Florida. He received numerous medals during the Vietnam War and retired as a major after 20 years in the Air Force. He served in the Marine Corps during World War II. Survivors include his wife Elvia, two sons, seven grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

Richard W. Kahler ’53, March 18, 2005, Cherry Valley. His wife Maxine survives.

Raymond Zimmerman ’53 MA ’59, June 28, 2005. Princeton. He was head basketball coach at Eureka High School for nine years. He was also a teacher or principal in Washington, Wyanet, and Princeton. He operated the local Dairy Queen and Z’s Christmas Trees for many years. As a pitcher for the Gipps All Star softball team, he had been inducted into the Peoria Area Sports Hall of Fame. He was an Air Force veteran. Survivors include his wife Marjorie, four children, and 15 grandchildren.

Betty Drake MA ’54, August 20, 2005. Peoria. She taught at Woodruff High School for 40 years, retiring in 1990 as head of the English department. She then worked as a consultant at Bradley University and wrote grant requests for the Peoria school district. Betty was a past president of the Suburban Kiwanis Club and also served as a lieutenant governor for the district. She was a member of the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Linus Heinz ’54, August 13, 2005, Belfast, Maine. He was Midwest sales director of PMI Mortgage Insurance in Chicago until retiring and moving to Maine in 1992. He and his wife Patricia Keenan Heinz ’56 ran a bed and breakfast for six years. He was an Air Force captain during the Korean War. Also surviving are six children and five grandchildren.

Sylvia Brent Elliott ’59, July 20, 2005, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Sylvia worked for United Airlines and as a fashion model. She then worked in arts administration in St. Louis, volunteered with the NAACP, and had articles published in local publications. She received her degree from the University of Alabama in 2001 and earned a master’s degree just before her death. She is survived by three children.

Edward Sights MA ’59, August 9, 2005, Washington. He was a business teacher at Princeton High School until retiring in 1985. He also operated the school bookstore and was a school bus driver for 20 years. Ed was a World War II Navy veteran. Survivors include his wife Marilyn, three sons, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

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1960s

John H. Fritz ’61, August 29, 2005, Washburn. He was an engineer for Caterpillar Inc. for 37 years. From 1976 until 1991 he worked in Geneva, Switzerland. He then worked in Lafayette, Indiana, until retiring in 2000. Survivors include his wife Mary, four children, and three grandchildren.

Jerry Wall ’61, March 24, 2005, Aurora. He was active in the Wayside Cross Mission and was a deacon in his church. His wife Sharon, two sons, and six grandchildren survive.

John W. “Jack” Craig ’62, July 29, 2005, Port St. Lucie, Florida. He had worked as a machinist for Caterpillar Inc. in East Peoria and Pontiac for 43 years, retiring in 1993. Jack was a Korean War Army veteran. He had been a Little League coach. His wife Nancy, two sons, and two grandsons survive.

Roger Ketelsen ’63, July 14, 2005, Bartlett. After 41 years at Chicago Boiler & Mechanical, he retired as president in 2004. He also owned and operated Guardian Heating & Cooling. He was a Civil War enthusiast. Survivors include his wife Merle Ann, two sons, two stepchildren, and 11 grandchildren.

Karen Seward Walker ’64, July 24, 2005, Peoria. She was a business teacher and director of the co-op program at Washington Community High School for 26 years, retiring in 1999. Karen had served as president of the Peoria Area Business Teachers and the Peoria Area Golf & Bowling League. Survivors include her husband Gary G. Walker ’64, two sons, her mother, and one grandson.

Arleen Smith ’66, August 20, Peoria. She worked for Illinois Bell for 42 years, retiring in 1976. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and numerous genealogical societies. Two sons, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren survive.

Denny Wagner ’69, June 27, 2005, Tampa, Florida. He was a programmer for Verizon. Survivors include his wife Dale, one son, his mother, and three grandchildren.

1970s

Stephen Akers ’70, August 4, 2005, Quincy. In 2000 he retired as president of State Street Bank where he had been employed in Quincy since 1982. For the previous 10 years, he had been vice president of Peoria Savings and Loan. He had served in the Illinois Army National Guard for six years. His wife Rose-Marie, two daughters, and a grandson survive.
Kenneth Vreeland ’70, July 26, 2005, Washington. He was a salesman for Allied Handling Equipment Co. in Peoria for 25 years. He was a pilot with the rank of captain in the Air Force and then served in the Air Force Reserves until 1985. His wife Linda and one son survive.

Sara Murphy ’71, July 6, 2005, Delaware, Ohio. She was president of Catholic Social Services in Columbus from 1987 until 2002. Earlier she worked as executive director of CHOICES, a shelter for battered women and children that she helped start. Sara held a master’s degree from Ohio State University. Her husband John and one daughter survive.
Sandra Dembinski Hayden ’73, August 6, 2005, Trivoli. She was an adult education teacher at Illinois Central College. Sandra was active in the Peoria County Home Extension and the Peoria Christian Women’s Club. She is survived by her husband Dean Hayden ’71, one son, and two grandchildren.

1980s

Bonnie Wiebmer Hume MA ’82, August 16, 2005, Dunlap. She had been a graphic designer for Caterpillar Inc. for six years. Survivors include her husband Craig, three daughters, and her parents.

2000s

Andrew Engel ’00, May 28, 2005, Chicago. He was a social studies teacher at St. Gregory High School. Andrew had taken students to Costa Rica during spring break to see a rain forest. At Bradley he was a vice president of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. Survivors include his parents and stepmother.
Joshua Price ’02, July 25, 2005, Ohio, Illinois. He had worked for United Parcel Service and for Wal-Mart in Peoria. Survivors include his parents, stepparents, and one sister.

 

To submit an obituary for "In Memory," please mail a newspaper clipping or memory card from the funeral home to: Bradley Hilltopics, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625.

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