Norma J. Williams

Norma Jean Dutton (Lofton) Williams, age 88, of Havana, Illinois passed away on the morning of 04/08/2026, at her home from natural causes.

Norma Jean was born on May 25, 1937, in Astoria, Illinois to John and Esther Baum Dutton of Bluff City, Illinois. Norma was a graduate of Rushville High School in 1955. Norma received her CNA license from Spoon River College. After she graduated from high school she began working at the Illinois Secretary of State until her first daughter was born. For several years she was a stay home mother and housewife, a job she found rewarding. Later in life she worked for the Mason County Health Department, Home Health Care Division, until she retired.
Surviving family members are Pamela (Steve) Burget of Astoria, Illinois, a daughter Krista (Jeff) Wilcoxen, of Easton, Illinois, her son Jonathan (Amy) Willams, of St. Louis, Missouri. She leaves behind several grandchildren, Audrey (Zack) Berning, Laura Adams, Jessica (Tyler) Duncan, Dustin Adams, Daniel Adams, and Karissa Wilcoxen. Great grandchildren Eli, Lailan, Mailee, Graitan and baby Berning is on the way.
Preceding her in death was her first husband Kenneth Lofton, parents John and Esther Dutton, her beloved daughter Kendra Lofton Adams, her second husband John L. Williams, and her sister Dorothy Weaver.
Norma Jean was a lifelong Christian who was a member of the Havana Southern Baptist Church. For a time Norma attended the Grace Baptist Church. Norma in her younger years was also a member of the Eastern Star.
Norma enjoyed singing and playing the piano for church. She was church choir leader for several years. Norma enjoyed being an artist. She dabbled in several mediums, pen and ink, oils, pastels, and China painting.
Norma loved sharing memories about growing up in Bluff City. Norma would often reminisce about her own childhood and would tell stories of her children’s younger years. Norma was an avid word search enthusiast and enjoyed reading the Bible. She loved spending time with her family and staying home. Norma attended church and went to her Bible study group regularly. Norma’s favorite hymn was "How Great Thou Art” and scripture was Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Norma was diligent to write down all the deaths and births of family members in her Bible.
Norma will be remembered for her faith in the Lord. One thing about Norma she would not hesitate to tell others she was a Christian. Norma loved gardening and especially her flowers. Norma mowed her yard and kept an immaculate home until God decided it was time for her to rest.
Graveside services will be on Friday, April 10, 2026 at 11:00 am Laurel Hill Cemetery. Afterwards fellowship and meal will be held at the Havana Southern Baptist Church to celebrate Norma’s journey to Heaven. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Havana Southern Baptist Church at 425 N. Pearl in Havana.
Hurley Funeral Home in Havana is in charge of arrangements.

Harry Byron Earhart

 

Harry Byron Earhart, age 91, passed away peacefully at home in San Diego, CA, with his sons

holding both his hands.

Byron was born in Aledo, IL the third child and only son of Kenneth Harry Earhart (1911-2008)
and Mary Louise (Haack) Earhart (1912-2008).
He grew up in Havana, IL, where he met his high school sweetheart, Virginia Margaret Donaho.
They were married September 2, 1956, a few years after graduating from Havana HS. He
attended Knox College (1953-56) and the University of Chicago (1956-62), where he studied
under Mircea Eliade and Joseph Kitagawa. A Fulbright Scholarship sent him to Tohoku
University in Sendai, Japan (1962-65) to conduct field research under Ichiro Hori. He received
his PhD (U of Chicago, 1965) and joined the faculty of the Department of Comparative Religion
at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI) in 1966. He was the recipient of a
Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award from WMU (1981), a Distinguished Faculty Award from the
State of Michigan (1982), and the Philo Farnsworth Award for his video, “Fuji: Sacred Mountain
of Japan” (1991). Named professor emeritus (2005) by WMU, he taught adjunct courses until
2018. He authored several books covering different aspects of Japanese religiosity, was creator
and series editor of the ten-volume Religious Traditions of the World (1986), and contributed
numerous articles, abstracts, and book reviews to scholarly journals. His seminal textbook
Japanese Religion: Unity in Diversity (1969, 5th revised ed 2014) was continuously in print for
over fifty years. Over thirty prestigious academic grants and fellowships allowed him to
regularly conduct academic research in Japan, spend a semester teaching in Korea (1973), and
join one of the first groups of Americans invited to tour the People’s Republic of China (1978).
His professional memberships included the American Academy of Religion, the Association for
Asian Studies, and the American Society for the Study of Religion.
After he and Virginia moved to San Diego in 1999, Byron enjoyed traveling, gardening, tennis,
and bridge. Retirement allowed him to return to a desire of his youth, writing and publishing
several novels as well as a memoir of his WWII childhood experiences, At Grandma’s House.
Survived by sons Kenneth (Florence Fong) and David (Susumu Kamimura) of San Diego, CA, and
Paul (Mary Minor) of Portland, OR; grandchildren Michelle Bearheart (Jack Bearheart) and
Adrienne Earhart of San Diego, and Bryce and Dylan Earhart of Portland, OR; and great-
grandchild Asa Bearheart of San Diego. Predeceased by his wife Virginia and sister Sylvia Heye,
he is survived by sister Rosemary Watson of Havana, IL and numerous nephews, nieces,
grandnephews,
Visitation will be held at Hurley Funeral Home, in Havana, on Monday, April 13, 2026, from 12:30, until 1:30 p.m., followed by graveside services at Laurel Hill Cemetery, in Havana.