Obituaries
Death of Vernon Ervin Droste
Vernon Ervin Droste, 89, of Mount Olive died Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at 5:05 a.m. at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. He was born on May 5, 1926, in Litchfield to the late Ervin Herman Droste and Olivia Westphal Droste. He married Alice Elfrieda Caroline Niemann on June 20, 1948, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in South Litchfield Township by Reverend M.J. Schlieve.
He attended Immanuel Lutheran Grade School and graduated from Mt. Olive High School with the Class of 1944. He was a life-long member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church where he was baptized and confirmed. Later in life, he was an elder and president of the congregation and in 1974, he served on the Immanuel building committee for the Educational Building.
Vernon was a member of the United States Army Air Force during WWII from 1944 until 1946. Upon returning from the service, he joined his father in the family business, Droste’s Market. After the death of his father Vernon took over and owned and operated Droste Market in Mt. Olive for 45 years until his retirement in 1991.
He was a charter member of the Mt. Olive Academic Foundation and served on the board until 2009. He was also a member of the Yurkovich-Beck American Legion Post #594 for 68 years, was a Mt. Olive volunteer fireman and served on the board of directors of the Mt. Olive National Bank.
He was an avid supporter of his children and grandchildren’s academic and athletic events and rarely missed any activity in which they participated. He played baseball for White City and bowled on the Townclock Bowling Team.
Vernon leaves behind his wife, Alice Droste of Mt. Olive; sons, David Droste of Findley, OH, Richard (Mary) Droste of Charleston, IL and Charles (Vicki) Droste of Mt. Olive; daughter, Barbara (Michael) Rademacher of Mt. Olive; four granddaughters, Emilie (Todd) Erickson of Hudson, WI, Julie (Brian) Mollet of Glen Carbon, Jenna (Kevin) McCarthy of O’Fallon and Amanda (Andrew) Patterson of O’Fallon; three grandsons, John (Lesley) Droste of Arlington Heights, Alex (Carly) Droste of Crystal Lake, IL and Paul Rademacher of St. Louis, MO; 10 great-grandchildren, Jack, Caroline & Sam Erickson, Dawson & Curtis Droste, Colin & William McCarthy, Claire & Alice Patterson amd Max Droste.
In addition to his parents, Ervin Herman & Olivia Westphal Droste, he was preceded in death by his sister, Dolores Monke, and grandson, Mitchell Vernon Rademacher.
Visitation services will be held on Friday, March 4, 2016, from 5-8 p.m. at Becker & Son Funeral Home in Mt. Olive. Funeral service will follow on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive. Burial will follow at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Mt. Olive. Graveside rites by the Mt. Olive Area Veterans
Lydia Circle will serve lunch for family and friends in the Immanuel Educational Building.
Memorials are suggested to the Immanuel Lutheran Church or the Mt. Olive Academic Foundation.
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Robert Leeroy Blevins, 77 of Litchfield, passed away the evening of Thursday, November 20, 2025, at HSHS St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield. He was born in Litchfield on December 24, 1947, a son of Robert James and Betty Bernadine (Cranford) Blevins.
He graduated from Centralia High School and proudly served in the United States Army during the Vietnam era. He was employed for many years as a cabinet maker with Adenca Manufacturing in Litchfield. Robert enjoyed many outdoor activities including camping, fishing, hunting, mushroom hunting, and looking for buried treasures with his metal detector.
He was a talented musician and played guitar and saxophone. Robert enjoyed watching and listening to all spectator sports and was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. He married the former Wanda Kay Large and they later divorced.
Robert is survived by sons, Christopher (fiancée Grace) Blevins and Jason (Jamie) Blevins, all of Litchfield; daughters, Jennifer (Gordon) Fenton of Salem, MO and Shannon Large of Litchfield; brothers, Chesley Blevins of Staunton, Joseph Blevins of Litchfield, Floyd Blevins of Highland, and Fred Blevins of Litchfield; sisters, Barbara (Ray) Schuster of Sorento, Sharon (John) Wickerheim of Chicago, and Pamela Poppenhouse of Litchfield; and several grandchildren and several great grandchildren.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents, Robert J. and Betty B. Blevins.
Funeral services for Mr. Blevins will be held at 12 noon on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at Plummer Funeral Home in Litchfield. Pastor Gilbert Dealey will officiate. Burial will be in Crabtree Cemetery. Military honors will be at graveside. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home.
Memorials may be directed to the family of Robert Blevins, c/o Christopher Blevins. Plummer Funeral Home in Litchfield is in charge of arrangements.
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Joyce Carleen Simmons, 83 of Litchfield, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, November 23, 2025. She was born in Pana on May 31, 1942, a daughter of Carl Cornelius and Lucille Romelta (Miller) Brakenhoff.
She was a member of the Litchfield High School graduating class of 1960. She married Raymond “Larry” Simmons on June 6, 1965, at Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield, and they enjoyed nearly 55 years of marriage until his passing on January 23, 2022.
Joyce was an excellent cook and well known for her beef and noodles, Texas cake, and stew. Joyce’s delicious cooking skills were evident during her 22-year career as manager of Jubelt’s Variety Bakery in Litchfield and as a ten-year cafeteria worker for the Litchfield Community School District #12. She also enjoyed gardening, canning, tending to her fruit trees, and sewing. Joyce enjoyed serving others by teaching Sunday School at Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield and volunteering for the local Meals on Wheels.
Joyce is survived by her sons, Raymond (Vicki) Simmons of Evansville, IN and David (Jacqueline) Simmons of Haymarket, VA; daughter, Laura Simmons of Edwardsville; brothers, Leslie (Sue) Brakenhoff of Litchfield, Byron (Terry) Brakenhoff of Chattanooga, TN, and Dale (Nancy) Brakenhoff of Litchfield; sisters, Ramona Warman of Charleston, IL and Marilyn (Don) Loptien of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren, Zachary Simmons, Makenzie (Jeremy) Frazier, Emma Simmons, and William Simmons; and great-grandchildren, Gunnar, Wyatt, Eli and Calla.
Joyce was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers, Rev. Larry Brakenhoff and Bernard Brakenhoff; brother-in-law Robert, “Bob” Warman; and niece, Kimberly (Brakenhoff) Bergman.
Funeral services for Joyce will be held at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Burial will follow in Edgewood Cemetery in Litchfield. Visitation will be at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center Road, St. Louis, MO, 63141-8557. Plummer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
