Larry L. Edwards

Larry L. Edwards, 88, of Canton, passed away on September 14, 2026 at his residence. He was born on July 8, 1938 in Chandlerville, Illinois to Harry and Gladys (Dearing) Edwards. Larry married Patricia Widger on June 28, 1959 in Canton. She preceded him in death on March 24, 1998. Also preceding in death were his parents, two brothers; Bill and Byron and sister Carolyn (late Bob) Runyon.

Surviving are two children; Robert L. (Lisa) Edwards of Mt. Pulaski, IL and Teresa L. (Charles) Osborne of Canton, brother Donnie (Sundra) Edwards of Florida, four grandchildren; Molly (Sarah) Edwards, Mikayla (Enrique) Osborne, Lacey Edwards and John Osborne.

Larry later married Carolyn Maricle on June 1, 2002 in Canton. She preceded him in death on January 5, 2026. Surviving are her children Chad (Jane) Phillips of Bloomington, Staci (Tim) Seward of Canton and step-grandchildren Brenen, Katrina and Isabelle.

Larry worked at Caterpillar as a receiving clerk for 35 plus years, retiring in 1993. He was a member of First Christian Church in Canton and belonged to the bowling association. Larry was a veteran serving as a Sergeant in the Army. He enjoyed being outside, going to car shows, gardening and traveling. He especially enjoyed spending time with family, playing skip-bo, camping and completing puzzles. Larry was blessed with great friends who enjoyed playing cards and camping over the years. He had fond memories of our annual turkey cookouts and luncheons with friends.

Services will be 2 pm, Thursday, September 17, 2026 at Oaks-Hines Funeral Home and Crematory, where visitation will be held one hour prior to services. Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery in Canton. Memorials can be made to A.M.L. (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) Research or to Peoria Area Honor Flight. To view Larry’s DVD or to leave online condolences please visit www.oakshinesfuneralhome.com

Kent Beckner

Kent Beckner, 82, of Canton passed away, Sunday, September 13, 2026, at his home in Canton.

He was born in Canton, on June 29, 1944, to Carl K. Sr. and Luella (Melvin) Beckner. They preceded him in death, as well as two brothers, Carl K. Beckner Jr. and Bob Beckner, and a sister, Colleen Lacey.

Kent is survived by his wife of 54 years, Vickie (Peterson) Beckner. They were married on November 11, 1972.

Also surviving are three sons, Ted (Erin) Shubert, Tom (Rona) Shubert, and Chuck (Trisha) Shubert, brother, Ronnie (the late Violet) Melvin, nine grandchildren, Josh (Vanessa Smith) Shubert, Trevor (Hannah) Shubert, Tanner (Alanna) Shubert, Taylor (Kiara Harris) Shubert, Zach (Caytlyn) Shubert, Sydney (Lane) Short, Saydey Shubert, and Nick Shubert, eight great grandchildren, Owen, Averie, Kayleigh, J.T., Adelina, Theodore, Lorenzo, and Briar, and four nieces Michelle, Judy, Lynn, and Nicole.

Kent graduated from Canton high School and then Joined the United States Army serving during the Korean Conflict. He worked for Buckheart Coal Mines, and later retired from the City of Canton. He enjoyed watching the St. Louis Cardinals, camping, deer hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed everything Elvis, and tinkering around his garage.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Oaks-Hines Funeral home and Crematory in Canton. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services.

Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Fulton County.

Dr. J "Donald" Graham

Dr. J "Donald" Graham, 93, of Havana, Illinois passed away on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Mason District Hospital. He was born on August 27, 1933, in Fort Benning, Georgia to the late Aileen and Ellis B Graham. He was preceded in death by his sister, Sarah Villa; Nancy Guilfoil Graham, his wife of 53 years and Frances Crawford.

Don graduated from the University of Georgia in 1955 and completed his Bachelor's and Master's in Divinity and his Doctorate in Ministry from the Lexington Theological Seminary.

Don began preaching in 1952 during his student days at the University of Georgia and while at seminary. After seminary, he served a pastorate at the Memorial Christian Church (DOC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Following that he chose a dual-vocational ministry when he joined the faculty at Berea College serving as the Coordinator of Religious Activities. During this time, he became the minister of the Kirksville Christian Church (DOC) in 1962 serving in that capacity for 50 years. While continuing his ministry, Dr. Graham started a family business to promote Appalachian arts and crafts that continued for some 39 years.

As a resident of Berea, Dr. Graham was active in the leadership of many local organizations including the Berea Chamber of Commerce, Berea Ministerial Association, The Mountain Maternal Health League, Berea Association of Congregations, District Friends of Kentucky Educational Television (KET), Madison County Tomorrow, and Project Read. Dr. Graham also ran for several political offices, the highest being as an Independent Peace and Civil Rights candidate for Congress in 1968.

Throughout his years in Berea, Dr. Graham coined sayings that students, faculty, friends, and patrons of his local business found amusing and inspirational. He made these sayings available in a variety of ways, including bookmarks, which he sold in his shop. Many customers suggested he put them in a book, and in 2016, Graham-isms: Thoughts That Almost Crossed My Mind, his first book, captured this collection for random reading.

Following his ministry in Kentucky, Dr. Graham took his love of service to the state of Illinois where he served as the pastor at the Central Christian Church in Havana, Illinois for 8 years. While in Havana, he served as an active member of the Havana Christian Ministerial Association. With his southern roots and gentlemanly ways, Don was beloved by all who knew him.

Don is survived by his wife, Pam, his daughter Suzanne (Greg) Gerard of Richmond, two grandchildren, Ben Robinson IV (Chloe) and Graham Robinson and one great grandchild, Beau Robinson.

A public visitation will be held Wednesday, September 16th from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at the Central Christian Church with the funeral to follow from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Don's honor to the Central Christian Church in Havana, Illinois and the Kirksville Christian Church in Richmond, Kentucky.

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