Theodore VanWinkle Theodore Van Winkle, McLeansboro died at his home on Tuesday, February 9. Ted attended SIU from the fall of 1944 to 1946. He was inducted into the United States Army in January 1946, and assigned to the Army Counter Intelligence Corps at Fort Belvoir, Baltimore, Maryland, where he learned Japanese, techniques in interrogation and investigation, and was promoted to the rank of Staff Sargent. As part of the Counter Intelligence Corps 441st Detachment, he served in Tokyo and other parts of Japan from March 1947 to March 1948, where he conducted U.S. Army investigations of sabotage, sedition, espionage and subversive activities in Japan. Ted enlisted in the Army Reserves in March 1948, and then re-enrolled in SIU earning a BS in Geography. Ted was called back to active duty with the Army in October 1950, serving during the Korean conflict with the Counter Intelligence Corps in Washington D.C. until August 1951. Upon his discharge from active duty, he remained in the US Army Reserves until October 1954.
Following his August 1951 discharge from the Army Intelligence Corps, he returned to Hamilton County, enrolling in college credit course offered by SIU in McLeansboro. Upon completion of his degree from SIU, he attended Northwestern University, receiving a Master of Geography. Ted and Betty then moved to Washington D.C., where he began work for the United States Air Force and the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center. Working for ACIC, he was trained in aerial photography analysis, target selection and bomb damage assessment. He later analyzed classified photos including those of Russia taken by the U2 program. While working Aeronautical Chart and Information Service, he enrolled in the George Washington University National Law School. He completed law school at St Louis University night division in June 1958, and was admitted to the practice of law on November 20, 1958. After finishing law school, Ted moved the family to McLeansboro.
Ted joined the late Hon. Charles E. Jones in the practice of law in 1958, creating the firm of Jones & Van Winkle which operated until Charles Jones was elected Circuit Judge. Ted was engaged in a private law practice in McLeansboro from 1959 until his official retirement on December 31, 2015. He served as the Hamilton County State’s Attorney from 1960 to 1964. Ted was joined in the law practice by his son in November 1979, forming the firm of Van Winkle & Van Winkle. He also operated a family farm.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Betty Gail (Summers) Van Winkle, and his daughter, Cynthia G. Thomas and husband Steve of Mt Vernon, Illinois, his son, James L. Van Winkle and his wife, Lois, of Dahlgren, Illinois, and his daughter, Theodora Ann Barenholtz and her husband, Jan, of Fairfield, Connecticut; six grandchildren, Adrienne E. Van Winkle and her fiancé, Seth T. Bridge of Washington DC, Jonathan L. Van Winkle of Dahlgren, Michael J. Bassi, of Covington, Kentucky, Daniel Barenholtz of Fairfield, Connecticut, Lt. David Barenholtz and his wife, Claire, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Jonathan Thomas of Mt Vernon, and one great grand-daughter, Kori Thomas. He is also survived by his younger brother, Phil J. Van Winkle and his wife, Nancy, of Orlando, Florida, and their children, Philip R. Van Winkle, James Michael Van Winkle and Sherry Allen.
Funeral services for Theodore VanWinkle will be 11 a.m. Saturday, February 13 at the Harre Funeral Home in McLeansboro.
Visitation will be 6 – 8 Friday evening, February 12 at the Harre Funeral Home in McLeansboro.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, or the McCoy Memorial Library, in care of the funeral home.