Area Obituaries

Gleen Dale Stephens, 79, of Eldred, died at 8:23 a.m., Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 at his residence after a period of declining health. Visitation was held from 4 to 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 3, at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. Memorials may be given to the American Heart Association or American Cancer Society. Memories may…

James R. Ator, 63, of Griggsville, died Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Illini Community Hospital in Pittsfield. Cremation rites have been accorded, and a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Memorials are suggested to be made to the family c/o Niebur Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left to the family…

Francis “Frank” Vincent Romano, 82, of Brighton, died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, at his home. Per his wishes cremation rites have been accorded and entrusted to Anderson Family Funeral Home in Brighton. The Family will be hosting a Celebration of Life on Feb. 15, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Brighton Municipal Building. Memorials may…

Marvin N. Hull, of Barry, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 at the age of 97. Visitation was held from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the Niebur Funeral Chapel in Barry. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, with a visitation prior to the service from 10 to…

William Evert Gracey, age 85, passed away on Thursday morning, Jan. 22, 2026. William was born on Nov. 13, 1940, in the “Little House” on Cedar Ridge in Chesterfield, Illinois. He was the son of Evert and Hazel Gracey, and from the very beginning, his home at Cedar Ridge mattered deeply to him. The land,…

Betty J. Bieker, 89, of Golden Eagle, Illinois, passed away Monday morning, Jan. 19, 2026, at Jerseyville Manor. Betty was born on May 4, 1936, in Troy Alabama to the late John and Laura (Harris) Pittman. Betty married Leonard “Gene” Bieker (deceased) on April 7, 1956, in Eufaula, Alabama. She was a homemaker, a member…

James Van Dyne of rural Pleasant Hill, IL passed away Monday morning, Jan. 19, 2026 at home.  Jim had recently celebrated his 82nd birthday on Dec. 31st with his family. Jim was born Dec. 31, 1943 in Ovid, MI, son of J. Oliver and Ilien (Bloom) Van Dyne. He married Sharon Wineland on Oct. 8,…

Berneda “Neta” Usery, 76, passed away at 3:15 a.m., Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at her home in Grafton. Neta was born on Sept. 5, 1949, in Grafton, the daughter of the late John Andrew and Edith Louise (Larbey) Nairn. A lifelong Jersey County resident, she was deeply rooted in her community and proud of the…

Hazel Marie (Cresswell) Maag, 87, of Jerseyville, died at 10:41 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, at her home in Jerseyville. Visitation was held on Monday, Jan. 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville, with a family-led rosary service at 7 p.m.  A Mass of Christian Burial took place at…

Beverly (Sterling) Oitker, 89, of Barry, died Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026 at the Barry Healthcare and Senior Living Center in Barry. A funeral service was held Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 11 a.m. at Niebur Funeral Chapel in Barry. A visitation was held prior to the service from 10 to 11 a.m. Interment followed the service…