Obituaries

Dorothy Lea Sanders 91, of McLeansboro passed away Friday, March 15th 2024 at Hamilton Memorial Hospital surrounded by her family.

Russel Fulkerson, 89, of Mt. Vernon, IL and formerly of Carmi passed away on Friday, March 15, 2024 at his home surrounded by his family. 

Thomas “Tom” Lee Edwards, 85, of Enfield, IL (formally of Carlsbad, NM) passed away Thursday, March 14, 2024, at Covenant Specialty Hospital in Lubbock, TX.  

James Clifford “Cliff” Pennington, age 54, of Enfield, Illinois, passed away Thursday, March 14, 2024, at Cisne Rehabilitation & Health Care Center.

James Allen Lane, 81, of Enfield, passed away on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado, Illinois. He was born on March 7, 1943, in Carmi, Illinois, the son of James Claude "J.C." and Thelma (Newman) Lane.

    Douglas Alan Stucky, 75, of Carmi, passed away on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. He was born on January 17, 1949, in Freeport, Illinois, the son of Harland Stucky and Helen (Holland) Silliman. Doug married Brenda Garlene Walker on August 13, 1976, and she survives. He proudly served his country in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. Doug was the owner and operator of Stucky Construction. He was a member of the Carmi VFW, American Legion, and the Moose Lodge. Doug enjoyed camping, boating, and piddling at his shop. He loved and treasured his family and friends.

 Lifetime Cubs fan Joseph Frank Willis, 96, of Mahomet, IL formerly of Carmi passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at Bridle Brook Assisted Living in Mahomet. He was born on June 13, 1927 in Tamaroa, IL the son of Charles Raymond and Marietta Merle (Marlow) Willis.

Charles Ray Garner, 84, of Ft. Myers, Florida, died Monday, March 11, 2024, at Solarbron Family-first Senior Living in Evansville, Indiana.  He was born October 1, 1939, in White County, Illinois, the son of Charles C. and Vella (Harvey) Garner.  He was married to Margaret Ann (Maurer) Garner, on February 7, 1960, and she preceded him in death on December 9, 2022.

Julia Ann Ballard, 66, of Carmi, passed away on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. She was born on October 2, 1957, in Oakridge Tennessee, the daughter of Frank Gray and Patricia Ann (Turner) Gray.

Andrew: In Greek, the name means strong, manly, courageous. He was all of that.

Andrew: The first disciple to be called by Jesus.

Andrew Jefferson “Andy” Holtzclaw, a preacher’s kid, took more than 83 years to call Jesus his Savior, but in his last week of life, he confirmed that he knew it, had called on Him — and said that while he’d rather live a lot longer, he would be ready when God called him home.

At 9:17 p.m. Saturday, March 9, with family praying, singing and laughing through tears at his bedside at Hamilton Memorial Hospital’s emergency room, their hero went to the arms of Jesus. “The Dad,” the source of so many iconic witticisms and eccentricities worth a book (and there will be one!) left the building but lives eternally larger than life now.