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Obituary of Brian Lee Mitchell

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Brian Lee Mitchell, 73, of Carlinville, passed away on Friday evening, February 28, 2025, at his home in Carlinville, with family by his side. Brian was born November 14, 1951, in Carlinville, son of Willam Waldo Mitchell and son of Doris (Ryan) Adcock.

Brian graduated from Carlinville High School with the class of 1969. He spent two years at Memphis State, then was called to duty to service his country. He married Norma Jean Wiese on December 31, 1971, in St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Carlinville.

Brian was an electrical contractor. He started his electrical career with Whitby Electrical; later he worked for Robinson Electric and then LeVora Electric, all in Carlinville. In October of 1991, Brian and his brother Brandon started Mitchell Brother’s Electric, until April 2024, when he retired. Brian was a defensive coach for the semi-pro football team the Central Illinois Cougars, that allowed him to pass along his love for the game of football to future generations. He served on the City Council. Brian proudly served on the Board of Trustees for the Carlinville Fire Protection District. He was an active member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, serving on church council and several committees. He was a member of Men’s Fellowship and participated in the talent shows. He was honored to participate in the inaugural and final live performance of The Last Supper. He was most proud of his role as financial secretary for over 30 years. Brian loved attending auctions in search of vintage electronics to add to his collection. He also enjoyed reading and hunting for classic novels at hole-in-the-wall bookstores he found. Above all, Brian cherished the love of his life, Norma, and treasured the time they were able to spend with their kids and grandkids.

Brian was preceded in death by his parents, his mother- and father-in-law Arthur and Velma Wiese, and brother-in-law Fred Conklin.

Brian is survived by his wife, Norma of Carlinville; son, Clinton Lee (Marissa) Mitchell of Carlinville; daughter, Kristina (Dustin) Wise of Carlinville; grandson, Driston Lee Mitchell; grandson, Killian Mitchell; granddaughter, Matilda Mitchell; grandson, Britton Mitchell; granddaughter, Lillian Wise; granddaughter, Lenyn Wise; brother, Brad (Terri) Mitchell of Springfield; brother, Brent (Jessica) Mitchell of Boston, MA; brother, Brandon (Barb) Mitchell of Carlinville; and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on March 7th , 4 pm – 7 pm, at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Carlinville. Funeral services will be conducted March 8th at 11:00 at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Carlinville, with burial immediately following in Mayfield Memorial Park Cemetery, with military rites, Carlinville.

Memorials may be made to St. Paul’s United Church of Christ or Carlinville Firefighter’s Association.

Please visit www.davisandersonfuneralhome.com to leave condolences or light a candle in his memory.

Davis Anderson Funeral Home, Carlinville is in charge of arrangements.

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Obituaries

Obituary of Calvin “Sonny” Weber

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Calvin “Sonny” Weber, 91 of Staunton, passed away at 4:52 PM on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at his residence in Staunton. He was born on June 19, 1934, at home in Dorsey the son of the late Robert E. and Sylvia T. (Ostendorf) Weber. 

He married Linda Norton and she preceded him in death.

“Sonny” was a union laborer for many years.  He was also an avid gardener and enjoyed taking care of his yard, spending time with his grandkids, and playing cards.

He is survived by his daughter, Michelle (Chris) Borror of Queen Creek, AZ and their two children, Lauren and Alex Borror; one son, Chris Ferguson, and his daughter, Chelsea Carr; a great granddaughter, Evelyn Carr; one brother, Marvin (Diane) Weber; and two special nieces who he referred to as his “Number One”, Deb Filotto, and his “Number Two”, Amy Korte. 

Besides his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Evelyn Olmsted, and one brother, Bob Weber.

No services are scheduled. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor’s choice. Williamson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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Obituary of Dr. Carla B. Engelke

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Dr. Carla B. Engelke, 47, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2026, at her residence in Tucson, AZ. Carla was born December 7, 1978, in Alton.

She was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Prairietown. She was the beloved daughter of Steve and Jeanette Engelke and an awesome sister to Mark Engelke, all of Prairietown. She leaves behind two special aunts, Sharon Schaefer and Christina Urban.

She was preceded in death by her Uncle John “Red” Urban and Uncle Arlin Schaefer and numerous cousins.

Growing up on a family farm, Carla learned relentless work ethic, faith, responsibility, and respect for humanity. Since she was a toddler, she loved animals: turtles, bunnies, bucket calves, pigs, kittens, and especially dogs (jack, Jenny, and Clifford).

She was an avid reader. She was passionate about science, research, the arts, Shakespeare, Jeopardy, Snoopy, music, and college basketball and football. She was also a devoted Cardinal fan. Two of her favorite holidays were Halloween and Christmas. We will miss her smile, her laugh, sense of humor, and spontaneous wit.

Following graduation from Edwardsville High School, Carla expanded her Illinois roots graduating from Saint Louis University Summa Cum Laude with a BS in biology. She completed her optometric education at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee in 2005 and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

During optometry school, Carla participated in SVOSH (Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity) traveling to developing countries, performing eye exams, and prescribing donated Lions’ Club eyeglasses to help people see the world better. She then furthered her education by completing a one-year residency in ocular disease and specializing in low vision rehabilitation at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, Arizona which focused on improving the quality of life of legally blind Veterans. Upon completion of her residency, she was immediately hired as a staff optometrist where she spent her entire career serving Veterans while teaching residents and optometry students.

Carla’s career was marked not only by clinical excellence but by visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to the optometric profession. She served as President of the Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services (also known as AFOS) where she helped shape and advance the field of optometry. She was also recognized as the 2019 AFOS VA Optometrist of the Year, which is an honor that reflects the profound respect she earned from her peers and the exceptional care she provided to her patients.

Those who had the privilege of working alongside Carla witnessed firsthand her compassion, integrity, and commitment to mentorship. She set a standard of excellence that elevated the profession and enriched the lives of countless patients and colleagues. Her impact extends far beyond titles and awards as it lives on in the optometry residents and students she inspired and the many patients she cared for especially those with traumatic brain injury and impaired vision.

In dedication to Carla, AFOS has renamed their annual award the Dr. Carla Engelke Resident of the Year award and has started a travel grant to provide funding to residents to travel to educational meetings to honor and memorialize Carla’s legacy. If you would like to contribute to the AFOS optometry resident travel grant, a memorial fund has been set up in her name and honor: https://www.gofundme.com/f/dr-carla-engelke-legacy-fund

Checks can also be sent to:

AFOS
C/o Dr. Lindsay Wright
11705 Airport Way, Suite 306
Broomfield, CO 88201

A private burial to honor Carla will be held at a later date. She is loved and will be sadly missed by her family, friends, and colleagues. Williamson Funeral Home, in Staunton, is in charge of arrangements.

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Obituary of Roberta “Bobbi” Haneghan

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Roberta “Bobbi” Haneghan, 89 of Bunker Hill, died on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at Cedarhurst Senior Living, Bethalto. She was born in Bunker Hill on June 24, 1936, to Robert and Clara (Fensterman) Haneghan.

Bobbi was fiercely independent and loved being active. She enjoyed traveling, woodworking, spending time with family and friends, and had a strong passion for dogs. Her exuberant laugh brought joy to everyone around her.

She is survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Bobbi was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, William “Bill” Haneghan; and seven sisters, Jean Haneghan (infant), Vivian O’Toole, June Fortschneider, Patricia “Patty” Whiting, Veronica “Ronni” Waymire, Edwina “Babe” Weishaupt, and Mary Lynn Brunaugh.

A private burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Bunker Hill. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Metro East Humane Society at https://www.mehs.org/support. Kravanya Funeral Homes are in charge of arrangements.

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