Obituaries
Death of Anthony “Tony” Wayne Leone
Anthony “Tony” Wayne Leone, 83 of Benld, passed away peacefully at the hospital surrounded by his family on September 15, 2021. Tony was born on March 4, 1938, in Litchfield to the late Anton and Irma (Benedetti) Leone, both of Benld.
Tony graduated high school from Benld High School in 1956. He worked in the family business, Leone Lumber Inc. He went to SIUC and Rolla School of Mining and was also in the Army Reserves. He and his family returned to Benld in 1967 to become a partner at Leone Lumber. He became sole owner and retired in 2000.
Tony married “his bride” Gerrie Wall on May 2, 1964. He always said I ran into a “wall” and married her. They spent 57 wonderful years together. Their biggest bucket list was playing golf in all 50 states. They traveled the United States with their golf clubs in the car. He never had a care in the world except to get his wife to church every Sunday. They enjoyed their life to the fullest but most of all loved being together.
He was an avid bowler and even got a 300 game ring. He enjoyed spending time on his beloved back patio. Many laughs, tears, beverages and memories were shared on that patio. There isn’t a child he knew that didn’t get quarters pulled from their ears. He loved cutting the grass and taking care of the yard with his pride and joy mowers. He would scare friends and family by cutting the hill but he was stubborn until the end.
Desserts were his favorites and everyone knew it. Never had to ask who ate the missing desserts because we knew who it was. Family meant the world to him and he would do anything for any of them no questions asked, but when should I be there. He enjoyed delivering meals for the Nutrition Center making lots of friends and memories. Whether it be inside or outside he loved feeding the birds and watching them come to his feeder, just would get mad at the squirrels. He was especially fond of his neighbors that did so much for him. He was active with the K of C’s, Rotary, Owls, Lions and Croatian Lodge. He was on the St. Joseph’s Church Board, an usher and involved with church projects.
Tony is survived by his wife, Gerrie of Benld; son, Rick (Bambi) Leone of Guam, USA; daughter, Randi Leone (Jim) Wescoat of Port Orange, FL; grandchildren, Jay, DeAnn, Bret, Heather, and Kimberly; great-grandchildren, Mason, Ethan, Tucker, Tyson, Truman, Lydia, and Logan; brother, James (Kerin) Leone; sister, Della Kay Sullivan (Scott) Millick; sister, Cheryl (Jim) McKay; sisters in law, Susie & Spike Briggs, Maureen & Gary Mueth, and Patti & Marv Albert; and several nieces and nephews who all thought the world of him.
In addition to his parents, Tony was preceded in death by his niece, Gigi Sauzek.
Visitation will be on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at St. Joseph’s Church, Benld from 10-11:30 a.m. Funeral mass will be on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at St. Joseph’s Church, Benld at 11:30 a.m. with Father Michael Haag officiating.
Memorials are suggested to the Build Benld, Benld Nutrition Center, Benld Library, Adopt A Pet, or St. Joseph’s Altar Society. Kravanya Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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Altruistic – an unselfish concern for the welfare of others, often involving actions that benefit others at the cost to the self.
They say that word was coined in the early 1850’s, but we believe the true definition came to be 100 years later. Specifically October 8, 1955.
1955 was a year where history was being made everywhere you turned. The first McDonald’s, polio vaccine deemed safe, Disneyland opened, Vietnam war was starting to escalate, and the civil rights movement started to gain momentum thanks to Rosa Parks arrest.
But somewhere in the quiet, far away from big exciting things, a baby girl was born and we believe her spirit gave life to that word.
Lorie A. Kelsey grew up in an era that promised peace, freedom, and love. And while the world around her sang about those things, her life asked something much harder of her; not just to believe in love, but to be it, over and over again, even when it was not given back.
Lorie was a free spirit who had a deep love for music that never faded, and a soul rooted in peace and kindness. She was, at heart, a lifelong hippie. She married Merle Neunaber in 1974 and together they welcomed two children. Motherhood wasn’t just something Lorie stumbled into, she took it by the horns and redefined the definition of “a mother’s love”.
She divorced in 1978 and remarried David Wiles in 1980. Lorie spent most of her days serving others. Whether that be serving tables, cleaning houses, working in nursing homes, babysitting children or just being a mom and wife. Never chasing status, just doing what she could to care for those around her.
At age 38, she became a grandmother, or “Nana”, and this might be when the fun really started. Lorie dedicated every available moment into ensuring her grandchildren had a childhood filled with magic, excitement, and structure. It carried on into their adult life and then into her great grandchildren’s lives.
She created memories that would outlive her, traditions that would carry on, and a sense of home that could always be returned to. She opened her doors when she had no space to spare. She provided warmth when there was none, and stability when everything else was uncertain.
In 2025, Lorie suffered a stroke that left her unable to care for herself. And in a full-circle moment, the family she had spent her life caring for, stepped in to care for her. After a year of hardship, Lorie took her last breath in the comfort of her home, surrounded by the love she had spent a lifetime giving away.
She lived a life that history rarely writes about. The kind built not on recognition, but endurance. You likely won’t find chapters in history books about women who hold entire families together but to her family, to us, we might say she’s worth writing an entire book about. Given the chance to rewrite a bit of history, we’d restart by adding her name to the definition of altruistic. To live altruistically; to live like Lorie.
Lorie was preceded in death by her parents, Helmar and Barbara Kelsey, her brother and sister in law, Todd and Jane Kelsey, and her niece Kate Birkenkamp.
Lorie is survived by her husband, David Wiles, her son Chad Neunaber, her daughter, Emily Neunaber, grandchildren; Elly Neunaber, Anita Neunaber, Chad Neunaber Jr, Madyson Lair, Hannah (Sam) Balltzglier, and Lauren Lambert, sister Kristen (Ray) Birkenkamp, six great grandchildren and two on the way, two nieces, one nephew, and one soul sister, Kelly from the deli.
There will be no services per her wishes. In memory of Lorie, we ask that you share some love and spread kindness
Memorials may be made to the family. Davis-Anderson Funeral Homes, Carlinville is in charge of arrangements.
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Lawrence Leroy Baker was born on January 3, 1944, in Bunker Hill to Malchus Brooks Baker Sr. and Ernestine Ruth Allen. He was the second of four children and was raised with the values of hard work, humility, and quiet determination that would define the course of his life.
On September 19, 1964, he married Cheryl Ann Carnahan, beginning a partnership that would span decades. Together, they raised two daughters, Shauna Marie (Taylor) and Stacy Ann (Baker-Fritz), who carry forward both his strength and his steady presence.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1969, answering a calling not just to teach, but to influence. For Larry, education was never confined to a classroom. It lived on sports fields, in locker rooms, and in the quiet moments where character is formed. He began his career at Potomac High School, where he taught physical education and coached baseball, basketball, and track from 1970 to 1977. He then taught at Schlarman Academy in Danville, Illinois from 1977 to 1981, while also coaching baseball, football, and track. There, and throughout his career, he taught far more than the mechanics of the game. He taught discipline, accountability, and how to carry oneself with dignity in both victory and defeat. He later joined St. Francis High School in Wheaton, Illinois, where he served from 1983 to 2018 as Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, Director of Operations, and track coach.
Larry believed deeply in athletics as a proving ground for life. He saw sports as a vehicle for leadership, for perseverance, and for understanding that effort, not outcome, defines a person. That belief shaped generations of young people, many of whom may never fully realize how much of him they carry forward. He was also a devoted fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, following them faithfully through the years. Whether the team was winning or struggling, his loyalty never wavered, a quiet reflection of the kind of man he was.
In his later years, Larry faced Alzheimer’s dementia, a long and difficult journey that gradually took much from him, but never touched the foundation of who he had been. Even as memories faded, the impact of his life remained firmly rooted in the people he loved and the lives he shaped.
He passed away on April 19, 2026, at Oak Hill Senior Living (Accolade Healthcare) in Waterloo, Illinois, at the age of 82.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Cheryl; and his brothers, Malchus Brooks Baker Jr. and Robert Allen Baker.
He is survived by his sister, Beverly Ann Baker of Lake Montezuma, Arizona; his daughters, Stacy (Matthew) Fritz of Shiloh, Illinois, and Shauna (Douglas Ronald) Taylor of Woodridge, Illinois; and his grandchildren, Joseph Robert Baker, Christopher Ryan Taylor, Taylor Lawren (Michael Matarazzo), and Matthew Taylor Fritz II.
Larry’s life was not defined by titles or recognition, but by presence. He showed up, day after day, for his family, his students, his teams, and his community. He did the work. He set the example. He left things better than he found them. That is a legacy that does not fade.
Public visitation will be 10am on May 9, 2026 at Kravanya Funeral Home in Bunker Hill, Illinois with a memorial service at 11am. Interment will be at Bunker Hill Cemetery. Reception will follow at the Bunker Hill Community Center.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis High School in Wheaton, Illinois, or to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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Angela Marie Weidner, 49 of Litchfield, died at St. John’s Hospital, Springfield on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 5:04 pm. She was born on February 16, 1977, in Enterprise, AL to Huey Nelson and Marcy Nunez Monroe.
She married Scott Weidner on May 31, 2008 in Nassau, Bahamas. She was a registered nurse and hospice clinical liaison for Gentiva Hospice. Angela also worked for Molina Healthcare as a registered nurse. Angela was very active with her kids and their events.
She is survived by her spouse, Scott Weidner of Litchfield; daughters, Emma Weidner of Litchfield and Zoey Weidner of Litchfield; father, Huey “Pojo” (Cindy) Nelson of Glenwood, AL; mother, Marcy Monroe of Buckley, IL; siblings, Elizabeth (Jay) Bennett of Loda, IL, Tabitha (Josh) Monroe Kuhn of Glen Carbon, Tonisha (Tracy) Bullock of Ariton, AL, Sereatha (Brian) Powell of Glenwood, AL, and Billy Wayne (Shelly) Nelson of Glenwood, AL; mother in law, Janice Weidner of Gillespie; sister in law, Abby Dooley of Litchfield; grandparents, Dorothea Nunez, Erma Simmons, Mary Ann Bussone, and Patsy Bussone; and several nieces and nephews.
Angela was preceded in death by her father in law, Wags Weidner, and grandparents, Hayward and Martha Nelson, William Pedro Nunez, James Bussone, Harold and Ad Weidner.
Friends may call on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at Kravanya Funeral Home, Gillespie from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Funeral services are Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 11:00 am at Kravanya Funeral Home in Gillespie. Burial will be at Gillespie Cemetery, Gillespie.
Memorials are suggested to Zion Lutheran School of Litchfield, 1301 N State Street, Litchfield, IL 62056. Kravanya Funeral Home, Gillespie is in charge of the arrangements.
