Mark F. Kingren

Mark F. Kingren, 56, a lifelong Paxton resident and former fire chief passed away at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, November 19, 2008, at Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO. He had been ill ten months.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 23, 2008, at the First Lutheran Church, 301 S. College Street, Paxton. Rev Jeff Cottingham will officiate. Burial will be in Glen Cemetery, Paxton with military graveside rites.

Visitation will be held Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Ford-Baier Funeral Home, 406 E. Pells Street, Paxton and at the church Sunday one hour before the service.

Mark was born February 2, 1952 at Urbana, the son of Delmar F. and Betty Buhrmaster Kingren.

He is survived by his loving partner, Tammy Smith; his mother, Betty Kingren of Paxton; two sons, Kyle (Lacey) Smith and Dylan Kingren both of Paxton; one sister, Diane (Mike) Buss of Olney; one brother, Dennis (Jennie) Kingren of Paxton; one grandson, Landon Smith of Paxton; seven nephews; two great nieces; one great nephew and numerous other relatives. He was preceded in death by his father and grandparents.

Mark graduated from Paxton Community High School. He served in the U.S. Army from 1972-1974. He was employed by Kingren Construction and for the past fourteen years has been employed by Paxton Ready Mix. He was a member of the First Lutheran Church of Paxton, the Elliott Amvets, the Loda Sportsmans Club and Teamsters Local No. 26. He was a member of the Paxton Fire Department 22 years having served as fire chief. He enjoyed hunting, boating, hanging out with friends, Nascar, and mostly watching his kids play sports.

Memorials may be made to the Dylan Kingren Memorial Fund.

Harriet A. Pool Shearer

Harriet A. Pool Shearer, 81 of Paxton passed away at 11:05 a.m. Monday, November 17, 2008, at the Illinois Knights Templar Home in Paxton where she had been a resident one month.

Her services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, November 20, 2008, at the Ford-Baier Funeral Home, 406 E. Pells Street, Paxton. Rev. Scott Huggins will officiate. Burial will be in Glen Cemetery, Paxton. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with the Rosary at 6:30 p.m.

Harriet was born December 11, 1926, at Daleville, Indiana, the daughter of Clyde W. and Arlene Boyer Findling. She married Jim Pool March 30, 1946, at Indianapolis, Indiana. He preceded her in death on December 31, 1984. She married William Shearer November 24, 1998 in Kingman, Arizona.

She is survived by her husband; two sons and one daughter, Phil (Barbara) Pool of Witchita Falls, Texas, Cindy (Bill) Pufahl of Crescent City, Clyde Pool of rural Ludlow; five grandchildren; two great grandchildren; one sister, Joanna Brumfiel of Ann Arbor, Michigan and three stepsons, William Shearer, Jr. of Three Rivers, Michigan; Bob Pool of Creve Couer and Jim Pool of Foley, Alabama. She was preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers.

Harriet spent her early years in Daleville where she attended school; she attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana several years. She was employed by Warner Electronics in Rankin and retired from Chanute Air Force Base, Rantoul where she was a personnel staffing specialist. After her retirement she continued to work at several jobs. She was a member of the Lady of Valley Catholic Church in Green Valley, Arizona and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Paxton; was a member of the Busy Bee Club and Pinochle Club both of Clarence, a former member of the Paxton Business and Professional Womans Club and a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, gardening, canning, playing cards and traveling. She mainly enjoyed watching her grandsons play basketball. She was a member of the Womans Group of the Lady of Valley Catholic Church; they made clothing and blankets for the newborn of Mexico.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer's Association.

Norma L. Kennedy

Norma L. Kennedy, 85, of Paxton passed away at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, November 13, 2008, at the Illinois Knights Templar Home, Paxton.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, November 16, 2008, at the Ford-Baier Funeral Home, 406 E. Pells Street, Paxton with Pastor Rex I. Sexton officiating. Burial will be in Glen Cemetery, Paxton.

Visitation will be held Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home with Eastern Star services at 6:30 p.m.

Norma was born October 1, 1923, in Danville, Illinois, the daughter of Albert J. and J. Mildred Williams Rattonetti. She married Charles D. Sexton June 1951 in Danville. On July 5, 1965, she married Vern Kennedy who preceded her in death on November 9, 1986.

She is survived by two sons, Charles A. (Cecilia) Sexton of LaGrange, KY and Rex I. (Patricia) Sexton of Gig Harbor, WA; one daughter, Brenda R. Sanders of Grapevine, TX; six grandchildren; two nieces; one nephew and one great niece and one great nephew; also one brother, Albert V. Rattonetti, Sr. of Paxton and several other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Norma graduated from Danville High School in 1942 and attended Brown Business College in Danville, She served in the U.S. Army from 1944-1946 in special services; mainly in the music entertainment department. She was a member of the Second Church of Christ in Danville; also a member and past matron of Prospect Chapter, No. 367, O.E.S., a member and past president of the Paxton Womans Club, member of the Paxton American Legion Post and the Paxton American Legion Auxiliary, a lifetime member of the Humane Society of Danville, Inc; member of the Paxton Majestic Theatre Group and the Red Hat Society.

Memorials may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

Orlen Jensen

Orlen Jensen, 92 of Decatur, formerly of Loda, passed away Tuesday, November 11, 2008, in Decatur.

Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 15, 2008, at Pine Ridge Cemetery, Loda. Rev. Steve Anderson will officiate. There will be no visitation. Ford-Baier Funeral Home, Paxton is handling arrangements.

Mr. Jensen was born July 8, 1916, at Loda, the son of Orville and Mable Boyd Jensen. He attended Loda Country Schools. He is survived by several cousins including Sally Hein and Goldie Hutchcraft of Florida.

John Barshney

John Barshney, 60 of Wabash, Indiana, a former Rankin resident passed away Sunday, November 9, 2008, at 6:15 p.m. at his home after an extended illness.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, November 15, 2008, at the Ford-Baier Funeral Home, 406 E. Pells Street, Paxton with Rev. John Davenport officiating. Burial will be in Glen Cemetery, Paxton. Visitation will be held Saturday from 12:00 noon until time of the service.

John was born February 8, 1948 in Rome, Italy, the son of Robert and Filomena Pozzati Barshney. He graduated from Rankin High School and was a railroader. He served in the U.S. Navy several years. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and took pride in breeding his German Sheppard dogs.

Surviving are his mother, Filomena Widmer of Bayles Lake, Loda; two daughters, Christina Richardson and Michelle Richardson both of Wabash, IN; two grandchildren; one brother, Kenneth Barshney of Chicago; one sister, Diana Barshney of Hoopeston; several nieces and nephews and his financee, Mary Ann Henderson of Wabash, IN. He was preceded in death by his father; one son, Travis Barshney and one sister, Susan Goff Mattingly.

Memorials may be made to a charity of the donor' choice.

Michael W.Little

Michael W. Little, 53, of Buckley, passed away at 4:00 a.m. Sunday, November 9, 2008, at Provena Covenant Medical Center, Urbana after a short illness.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 12, 2008, at the Full Gospel Christian Fellowship Church, 619 S. Railroad Avenue in Paxton with Rev. Terry Cooper officiating. Burial will be in Glen Cemetery, Paxton.

Visitation will be held Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the church. Ford-Baier Funeral Home, Paxton is handling arrangements.

Michael was born January 9, 1955 at Panama City, Florida, the son of Ralph and Lorraine Thunberg Little. He graduated from Rantoul Township High School. He had been employed by the Champaign County Sheriff's Department fifteen years retiring from there as a Lieutenant. He was currently employed by Valor Security Services at Market Place Mall as Public Safety Director. He married Sandi M. Daniels June 8, 2001 at Champaign. She survives.

Also surviving are his mother, Lorraine Lee of Rantoul; five children; two step-children; five grandchildren; one brother, Dave Little of Phoenix, Arizona; two sisters, Janie Howe of Rantoul and Betty Ann Holsinger of Lufkin, Texas. He was preceded in death by his father.

Michael attended the Full Gospel Christian Fellowship Church and he and his wife were leaders of the Paxton Cowboy Church. He enjoyed camping, hiking, collecting knives and cameras and antiqueing.

Memorials may be made to the family.

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