George T. Rister

87-year-old Mill Shoals resident, George T. Rister, died at 4:12 p.m. Saturday, August 7, at Hamilton Memorial Hospital in McLeansboro. He was a factory worker for AMF, and ran the Texico station in Mill Shoals. He was also a WW II Veteran, member of the American Legion for over 50 years, a member of the Mill Shoals Methodist Church and Burnt Prairie Masonic Lodge.

Surviving are his wife Dorothy of Mill Shoals; one daughter, Donna Braddock of Mill Shoals; two sons, Mike of Balews Creek, NC and Charles of Kennesaw, GA; six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; and two brothers, Elmer Frank Rister of Joliet, IL and John L. Rister of Fairfield.

Funeral services for George T. Rister will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, August 10, at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery, with military rites at the graveside.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Monday, August 9, at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield.

Mary L. Hutchcraft

73-year-old Golden Gate resident, Mary L. Hutchcraft died at 9:15 p.m. Saturday, August 7 at her home. She was retired from Airtex Products and ran Jack's Place Restaurant in Golden Gate with her husband James for 13 years.

Survivors include her husband, James Hutchcraft of Golden Gate; daughters, Becky Michael of Golden Gate, and Jacqueline Courier of Golden Gate; sons, James, Jr. of Mt. Erie, Randy and Kenny of Golden Gate, John of Fairfield and David of Clay City; sisters, Grace Medler of Fairfield and Jeanne Welch; brothers, Charles McKean of Michigan and Gary McKean of Louisiana; 22 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

The body of Mary L. Hutchcraft will be cremated following visitation.

Graveside services for Mary L. Hutchcraft will be 2 p.m.Thursday, August 12 at Union Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 - 8 Tuesday evening, August 10 at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home of Fairfield, which is in charge of all the arrangements.

Memorials may be made to breast cancer research and will be accepted at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield.

Hazel Williams

87-year-old McLeansboro resident, Hazel Williams, died at 8:33 p.m. Friday, August 6, at St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital in Mt. Vernon, IL.

Surviving are a son, Sheldon Williams of Laurel, MS; two daughters, Brenda Sadler of Omaha, IL and Connie Bullard of Mill Shoals; one sister, Faye Hulbert of Norris City; five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services for Hazel Williams will be at 10 a.m. Monday, August 9, at the Campbell Funeral Home in Norris City. Burial will be in Enfield Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, August 8, at the Campbell Funeral Home in Norris City.

Memorials may be made to Hertiage Woods Activity Fund at 605 S. Marshall Avenue, McLeansboro, IL 62859.

Sophia A. Burnett

87-year-old Carmi resident, Sophia A. Burnett, died Saturday, August 7, at Wabash Christian Retirement Center in Carmi. She was a homemaker and member of the Carmi American Legion Auxiliary.

Surviving are nieces and nephews, Sharon Grove of Fairfield, Mary Irene Lindsey of Lynchburg, VA, Michael Lyke of Effingham, IL, Sonny Edgar Burnett of Evansville, IN and Patricia Tucker of Flora.

Funeral services for Sophia A. Burnett will be at 10 a.m. Monday, August 9, at the Stendeback Family Funeral Home/Kittinger Fair in Carmi.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service on Monday, August 9, at the Stendeback Family Funeral Home/Kittinger Fair in Carmi.

Joseph L. "Joe" Davis

85-year-old Maple Park, IL resident, formerly of Walpole, Joseph L. "Joe" Davis, died Tuesday, August 3. He worked at Burgess Norton as well as painting barns, breaking and rehabilitating horses. He was a lifetime member of the American Quarter Horse Association.

Surviving are his wife Wilma; four children, Glen "Joe" Davis of Big Rock, IL, Wanda "Gayle" Boyle of Oswego, IL, Daphne Doane of Davis Junction, IL and Debbie Harling of Maple Park, IL; 12 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews survive, along with a special caregiver, Yani.

Graveside services for Joseph L. "Joe" Davis will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, August 9, at Hebron Cemetery at Walpole.

Harre Funeral Home in McLeansboro is in charge of the arrangements.

Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Research in memory of Joe Davis Memorial, PO Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119.

Jesse T. Earnst

25-year-old Rt. 1 Mount Erie resident, Jesse T. Earnst died at 2:43 Thursday afternoon, August 5 at Mt. Erie. He worked for Abner Trucking at Clay City on the Pulling Unit, and was a member of the Warzone Paintball Industries at Flora.

Surviving are his parents, Terry and Cheri Taylor of Mt. Erie and Leroy Jr. and Gerri Earnst of Bridgeport, IL; two daughters, Maddison Leigh Earnst and Tayler Marie Earnst both of Mt. Erie; one son, Tyler Edward Jake Earnst of Mt. Erie; two sisters, Nikita Dawn Turner of Noble and Mandi Pokojski of Centralia, IL; one step-sister, Ashley Stephens of Brideport, IL; one brother, Dustin Kenneth Jake Earnst of Evansville, IN; two step-brothers, Randy Stephens II of Bridgeport, IL and Todd Michael Stephens of Lawrenceville, IL; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Jessie T. Earnst will be at 11 a.m. Monday, August 9, at the Hosselton Funeral Home in Cisne. Burial will be in Scott Cemetery at Mt. Erie.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. Monday, August 9, until the time of service at the Hosselton Funeral Home in Cisne.

Memorials may be made to a trust fund for the children of Jesse T. Earnst at the Mt. Erie Banking Center at Mt. Erie, and will be accepted at the Hosselton Funeral Home in Cisne.

Michael David Alcorn

62-year-old former Grayville resident, Michael David Alcorn, died Thursday, July 15, at VNA Charlier Hospice in Evansville, IN. He was an architect.

Surviving are a brother, Tim; two aunts, Rebecca Groff and Rose Maruyama; and a niece, Tammy Farrill and her son Elih.

A graveside service for Michael David Alcorn will be held at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, August 14, at Oak Grove Cemetery in Grayville.

Cook Funeral Chapel in Grayville is in charge of the arrangements.

Memorials may be made to the Grayville Library Boosters, and will be accepted at the Cook Funeral Chapel in Grayville.

David Lee Smithpeters

58-year-old former McLeansboro and Crossville resident, David Lee Smithpeters died Saturday, July 31 at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul Minnesota following complications from heart surgery. He was a damage control specialist for BP USA and lived in Hudson, WI at the time of his death. While in Crossville, he owned and operated D. Smithpeters Backhoe Service. He was a past president of the Crossville Ruritan Club and member of the Teamsters Union Local 618.

Survivors include his former wife, Dana Smithpeters of Crossville; two sisters, Nancy Green of Murphysboro and Sandra Brown of Springfield, IL; a brother, Mark Smithpeters of Carmi and several nieces and nephews.

Services for David Lee Smithpeters will be 4 p.m. Saturday, August 7 at the Cook Funeral Chapel in Crossville with burial in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in McLeansboro.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until the time of service Saturday, August 7 at the Cook Funeral Chapel in Crossville.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association and will be accepted at the Cook Funeral Chapel in Crossville.

Vernon J. Morris

90-year-old McLeansboro resident, Vernon J. Morris died at 4:20 a.m. on Wednesday, August 4 at McLeansboro Health Care and Rehabilitation Center. A U.S. Army veteran of WW II, he served in the Phillipines. He was a retired master oil well driller after 40 years of service.

Survivors include his wife, Thelma Morris of McLeansboro; a son, Vernon Michael Morris of Napa, CA; a daughter, Joyce Sue Creed of Newport, OR; brothers and sisters, Val Morris of Mt. Vernon, IL, Todd Morris of St. Francisville, IL, Cleatur Morris of McLeansboro, Betty Davis and Ruby Mayo of Fort Mohave, AZ, and Ruth Jamieson of Phoenix, AZ; two grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Services for Vernon J. Morris will be 1 p.m. Saturday, August 7 at the Gholson Funeral Home in Mcleansboro with burial in the IOOF Cemetery at McLeansboro with military rites performed by the American Legion Post 106.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. Saturday, August 7 until the time of service at the Gholson Funeral Home in McLeansboro.

Sylvia Anna McLin

79-year-old Burnt Prairie native, Sylvia Anna McLin of Knoxville, TN died on Tuesday, August 3 at Mercy Residential Hospice in Knoxville, TN. She had worked for Phelps Dodge Copper Products Company in Fort Wayne, IN as an administrative assistant to the plant manager and later as Equal Employment Opportunity and Safety Coordinator. She retired from Phelps Dodge in 1980 and moved to Knoxville, TN.

Survivors include her husband, Gene McLin; a son, Joseph A. McLin of Grayslake, IL; a daughter, Linda J. McLin of Knoxville, TN a sister, Helen "Teen" Whetstone and a brother, John Henry Morrill, both of Carmi.

The Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield is in charge of the local arrangements, and the Highland South Funeral Home in Knoxville, TN is in charge of the Tennessee arrangements. Visitation will be held at the Highland South Funeral Home in Knoxville, TN on Saturday, August 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. The body will then be transported to Fairfield. Final visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 10, from 10 a.m. til noon, followed by graveside services in Maple Hill Cemetery at Fairfield.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association and will be accepted at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield.