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Obituaries

Lena

Christine E. (Bishop) Liles, 99

Christine E. (Bishop) Liles, 99, of Lena, IL, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on May 8th, 2022, at the Lena Living Center.

She was born on March 26, 1923 in Essex, England to Fredrick and Alice (Mills) Bishop. Christine married Junior Liles on August 11, 1945 in Essex, England. She moved to the United States later that year to join her new husband.

Christine was in great demand with her “Jitterbugging” when the “Yanks” came to the wartime dances in her hometown of Kelvedon. This is where she caught Junior’s eye. Together, they built the Lena Drive Inn in 1963 and operated it until they retired 23 years later. She was a member of the Lena United Methodist Church and a former member of the Lena American Legion Auxiliary. Christine’s British accent was still noticeable after 76 years in the United States and endeared her to all who met her. She enjoyed a good game of euchre and also knitted well in to her 90s.

Christine is survived by her two sons, James (Joan) Liles of Lena, IL; and John (Julie) Liles of Lanark, IL; five grandchildren-Jared (Mandy Dunham), Jason, Jeffrey, Jordan Liles, and Kristina (Jim) Dowling; step-grandson- Justin (Ashley) Wolber; and step-great-grandchildren Corbin and Brodey Wolber.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Junior Liles in 2003, sisters Joy Bishop, Eileen Chaplin, and brother Harold Bishop.

Private family graveside services will be held at the Lena Burial Park. Rev. Rick Bader will officiate the services.

A memorial has been established in her memory. Condolence may be sent to the family at http://www.leamonfh.com.

Stockton

James C. Batchelder, 84

James C. Batchelder, 84, of Stockton, IL passed away on January 15, 2022, at Freeport Hospital.

Funeral service will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Stockton, IL on Saturday, May 21st, 2022. A visitation will be held from 10 AM to 11 AM with funeral services to follow. Burial of ashes will be in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Stockton, IL. Hermann Funeral Home in Stockton, IL will oversee arrangements.

James C. Batchelder was born August 9, 1937, in Stockton, IL to Cyrus and Mary (Kappes) Batchelder. He graduated from Stockton High School in 1956.

He was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Stockton, IL. James loved old cars and was a respected auto mechanic in the Stockton area. He loved to watch old time threshing shows. James loved attending nascar, swap meets, and tractor pulls.

James is survived by his sister, Judith Dascher of Stockton, IL, nephew, Terry Batchelder of Fort Collins, CO, and niece, Mary (Steve) McCloy of Miles, IA. He is survived by great-nieces, Kelsey McCloy, Mercedes McCloy, Paige Dascher, Josie Dascher, great-nephew Justus (Sadie) Dascher, great-great-nephews, Ezekiel Dascher, Felix Phillips and great-great-niece, Kinsley Parker.

James is preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Cyrus Batchelder, his nephew, Mark Dascher, and good friend, Ed Coppernoll.

Hanover/Davenport

Jeffrey T. Sullivan, 65

Jeffrey T. Sullivan, 65 of Davenport, died unexpectedly at his home on Thursday, May 5, 2022. Born March 11,1957 in Savanna, Illinois, the seventh of eight children of Roger and Joan (Kerr) Sullivan. He exhibited a strong work ethic from an early age while working at the family hardware store and later, Whistling Wings mallard farm. He graduated from Hanover High School in 1975 where he lettered in football and golf and excelled in skiing at Chestnut Mountain and Colorado. He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in governmental studies in 1980. He also attended a summer journalism program at the University of London. After college he worked as a reporter in Chicago for the City News Bureau. He then completed advanced coursework in computer systems and programming at DePaul University and took a systems management position at the Mayer Brown & Platt firm that he held for approximately 10 years. He then lived in Ireland for six months where he nurtured his passion for Irish history, the country, and its people. Upon his return to the States, he relocated to the Quad Cities and worked for the Rails consortium of library districts until his retirement in 2021 after 25 years of service.

Jeff was an excellent athlete who enjoyed the out-of-doors. He was a marathon runner having participated in the Chicago and St. Louis marathons several times. He continued to ski throughout his life and thoroughly enjoyed his time in northern Wisconsin and Canada musky fishing with good friends. He cherished the photo taken of him and the 46-inch-long musky that he caught on a 6-pound test line. Jeff was always a “doer” and community volunteer. Year after year he returned to his hometown of Hanover where he used his energy and drive and many skills for the benefit of the annual summer and fall town festivals. He had a mind that understood mechanics and seemingly could fix almost anything that was broken. He was jokingly referred to by family and friends as “MacGyver” for his ability to improvise a fix regardless of circumstances.

He was passionate about his causes and never shied away from a good argument. He was proud of his Irish heritage and rooted for the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago White Sox and Notre Dame. Jeff was a much-loved son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. Survivors include brother-in-law, Robert Gable (Hanover), sisters, Nancy (Tom) Miller (Hanover) and Kelly Sullivan Soley (Dubuque) and brothers Scott (Suzanne) Sullivan (Rockford) and Casey Sullivan (Hanover), and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by parents; sisters, Susan Gable and Deborah Sullivan; brother, Mark Sullivan; and brother-in-law, John Soley.

A Graveside Service will be held at 12:00 Noon Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Evergreen Cemetery, Hanover, Illinois. After the graveside service, a celebration of life gathering will be held 1 – 3 p.m. at nearby Chestnut Mountain Resort. Memorials may be sent to: Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (Wapello Reserve), P. O. Box 216, Elizabeth, IL 61028-0216

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