Thurman E. Winters

Hopedale – Thurman Earl Winters, 83, of Hopedale, passed away at 12:05 a.m. on Monday, April 11, 2016, at Hopedale Nursing Home.
He was born July 17, 1932, in Lawrenceville, IL to John and Minnie Winters.  He married Waneta F. Stewart on July 15, 1955, in Lawrenceville.  She preceded him in death on August 22, 2013.
He is survived by three children, Linda (Brent) Grubb of TN, Laura Thieke of Canton, and John (Lena) Winters of Canton; two brothers-in-law, Darryl Stewart of MI and Claude Stewart of CA; one sister-in-law, Pat Stewart of East Peoria; four grandchildren, Natalie Cooper, Samantha Hedrick, Brittney Winters, and Jacob Winters; and three great-grandchildren, Gabe Cooper, Ryan Winters, and Sarah Cooper.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Thurman was a veteran of the United States Army, serving his country as a radio operator during the Korean War.  He worked for Caterpillar as a safety instructor, retiring in 1985.  Following his retirement, Thurman worked at Doc’s 66 Station in Banner.  He was also a regular at the Spoon River Speedway, working for over 20 years as a crew mechanic and running the tow truck.
He enjoyed bowling, playing cards and marbles, hunting, fishing, and racing.  He especially enjoyed the time he got to spend with his grandchildren and taking them for tractor rides.  He was a member of the Church of Christ in Morton.  
Visitation will be held Thursday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the Oaks-Hines Funeral Home in Canton.  Cremation rites will be accorded following the visitation.  Graveside services, with military honors, will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Lawrenceville, IL City Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Hopedale Medical Complex or to the American Diabetes Association.
To view Thurman’s tribute video, or to leave online condolences, please visit www.oakshinesfuneralhome.com