All Obituaries

Laverne “Gene” Eugene Taylor, age 87, of Irving, passed away April 9, 2024, at his home. Gene was born on September 14, 1936, in Irving to his parents Carl and Kathryn (Altevogt) Taylor. He attended Irving and Hillsboro High School and graduated with the class of 1956. Gene joined the US Navy and was on the 7th Fleet and was stationed in Hawaii, Japan and Australia. For his career, Gene was a truck driver, coal miner and a heavy equipment operator at rock quarries. Gene was a...

Phyllis Joy (Short) Homa, 86, of Taylor Springs died Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at St. John’s Hospital, surrounded by loved ones. Phyllis was born October 19, 1937, in Granite City to Elza and Lauretta (Rill) Short. After attending Taylor Springs Grade School and Hillsboro High School, she worked at Hillsboro and Greenville hospitals and owned Homa Pabst Blue Ribbon Distributing. She was a lifetime resident of Taylor Springs as well as a member of St. Agnes Catholic Church....

Bessie M. Nolley, 92, of Hillsboro, passed away March 24, 2024 at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon IL. She graduated from a Parochial Catholic School and from St. Johns School of Nursing. She attended St. Agnes Catholic Church in Hillsboro. Bessie was born in Swartz, Louisiana, to Elliott and Laura (Williams) Nolley. She was a Registered Nurse for several different nursing homes, hospitals, the State of Illinois and she also worked as a private nurse. Bessie was given...

Kailyn Treece, 24, of Hillsboro, passed away March 24, 2024. Kailyn was born January 26, 2000, in Granite City, Illinois, to Winford Treece and Amanda Louise Schmollinger-Angle. She was a graduate of Granite City High School and had worked in restaurants including Panera Bread and at the Amazon Warehouse. Kailyn was a great mother to Mason, a caring person and a light within herself. Kailyn is survived by her step-father and step-mother, John Schmollinger and Tabatha Osborn, step-mother...

Betty Ann (Lazenby) McDill Pugh 77 of Irving passed away March 20, 2024 at Hillsboro Area Hospital. Betty was born on Sept. 28, 1946 in Hillsboro to Hubert A. and Olpha Bernice (Morell) Lazenby. She was a graduate of Hillsboro High School and Southern Illinois School of Cosmetology in Centralia. She was a past member of Calvary Baptist Church where she worked in the library, current member of East Fork Baptist Church and Red Hat Society. She worked as a hairdresser and at the Hedlund...

Barrett Bryor Lee Koches, age 7, a beautiful, bright, loving and beloved son & devoted brother and friend, a natural caregiver to all, passed away March 16, 2024. Barrett was born on November 3, 2016, in Springfield, Illinois to Jamie Hartman and Jeff Koches. He was in the 1st grade class of Mrs. Mathon at Chester-East Lincoln School where he was a devoted friend and protector of his classmates. Barrett was not just sweet and smart - he was strong! He was a member of the Lincoln Youth...

Jane E. (Smith) Hiller 70 of Greenville passed away March 16, 2024 at HSHS St. Elizabeth Hospital in O’Fallon IL. Jane was born in Pittsfield IL on Aug 7, 1953 to Kenneth B. and Wilma Mardell (Witty) Smith. She was a 1971 graduate of Pittsfield High School and majored in fashion merchandising from Gem City College in Quincy IL. She was a homemaker and had worked at Zumwalt Chiropractic in Hillsboro for several years. She was a spiritual seeker and loved time with her family. Jane...

James Leon Watson, aged 83, of Hillsboro, passed away February 25, 2024, at his home. James was born on December 6, 1940, in rural Hillsboro to his parents Roy and Ora Mae Watson. He worked as a Diesel Mechanic for over 40 years with Dale Williams Trucking in Fillmore, Illinois. James married Lola Jean Root on June 8, 1963, and she preceded him in death in 2017. James enjoyed watching dirt track racing, Western movies, and loved attending the BlueGrass Festival at Hillsboro Campground....

Wanda Lee Beck, aged 81, of Auburn, formerly of Hillsboro, passed away on February 22, 2024, at Arcadia Care in Auburn. Wanda was born to her parents John M. and Mattie M. (Edwards) Dalby on January 8, 1943, in Carlinville, Illinois. She attended Carlinville High School and went to Lincoln Land Community College to become a CNA. She eventually came to work for the Illinois Department of Transportation and later retired. Wanda then spent the rest of her years as a homemaker. She attended...

Patty Sue Nichols Reents, 87, of Litchfield, passed away February 6, 2024, at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She was born on March 31, 1936, in Hillsboro, Illinois. Her parents were Don and Juanita (Mobley) Nichols. She graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1954 and attended SIU Carbondale. Patty also obtained her associates degree at Christ For the Nations Institute (CFNI) in Dallas, TX. Patty taught at the elementary school at St. Mary’s Catholic Church for several years...