William W. “Bill” Lowder Jr.

William W. “Bill” Lowder Jr., of Canton, passed away, Monday, June 8, 2026, at his home in Canton.

He was born in Canton, on July 3, 1947, to William W. Lowder Sr., and Ida Irene (Peters) Lowder. They preceded him in death as well as a son, Nathan Alan Lowder and sister, Peggy Ford.

Bill is survived by his wife, Vicki (Dosier) Lowder, they were married on April 8, 1983.

Also surviving are five children, William W. “Billy” Lowder III, Wendy Ramseyer, Lacie Sherman, Jacob Lowder, and Denise Berg, sister Sue Lane, eleven grandchildren, and a few great grandchildren.

Bill last worked at Intermit in Havana. He was previously involved with ABATE, and enjoyed fishing and taking care and spending time with his grandchildren.

Cremation rites will be accorded with Oaks-Hines Funeral Home and Crematory in Canton.

Gary E. Merrill

Gary E. Merrill, 71, of Canton, passed away, Friday, June 5, 2026, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

He was born at home in Vermont Illinois along with his twin brother on November 18, 1954, to Curtis and Jessie (DeFord) Merrill. They preceded him as well as two brothers, Curtis Merrill Jr., and Larry E. Merrill.

Gary is survived by his wife of 39 years, Patricia (Ogden) Merrill, they were married on May 23, 1987.

Also surviving is his daughter, Jessica Merrill of Canton, and sister Laura Paul of Iowa.

Gary graduated from Canton High School with the class of 1973. Gary was a mechanic for most of his life, he later worked at Caterpillar and retired on his birthday in 2020 from the East Peoria location.

Per his wishes cremation rites will be accorded and there will be no services.

Memorials may be made to The Humane Society of Fulton County

Online condolences may be made at www.oakshinesfuenralhome.com

Shelby J. Windsor

Shelby Jean (Miller) Windsor, 89, of Havana, Illinois, passed away peacefully on June 5, 2026 at Proctor Hospital. She was born on August 22, 1939, in Peterville, Illinois—on one of the hottest days ever recorded—she was the youngest child of Warren and Alice Miller, and the beloved sister of Elaine, Evelyn, and Bernard.

Shelby led a remarkable and deeply meaningful life. Together with her husband, Pete, she raised two wonderful sons, Brad and Jeff, and cherished the memory of their daughter, Ferris, who passed in 1985. Shelby’s love for children and her gift for nurturing young minds led her to open the “Pied Piper” Nursery School in the 1960’s. She and her dear friend Carol Palmer joyfully guided generations of local children until the school’s closing in 1997.
Beyond her work in early childhood education, Shelby also served as a secretary at Central Christian Church and later at Mason District Hospital in Havana, where her kindness, steadiness, and warm smile were appreciated by all who knew her.
Shelby was a member of the Red Hat Society, a frequent volunteer at the Havana Food Pantry, and sewed roses at the Senior Center. She was also a Cub Scout den mother and was famous for her family dinners.
Shelby is survived by her sons, Brad (Bonnie) Windsor and Jeff (Shari) Windsor; her grandsons from Ferris, John “Chip” Windsor—whom she and Pete lovingly adopted after Ferris’s passing—Casey Berry, and Brad’s son, Matt (Mallory) Windsor; and her great-grandchildren, Wyatt, Benjamin, and Lucas, each of whom she adored beyond measure.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, June 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Central Christian Church in Havana, with a visitation two hours prior to the service from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow the service at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Havana.
Shelby’s legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched—with gentleness, humor, and a heart full of love.
Memorial donations may be made in Shelby’s name to T.A.P.S. in Pekin. Online condolences can be left for her family at www.hurleyfh.com.
Hurley Funeral Home in Havana is in charge of arrangements.

Lori D. Hammond

Lori Dianne Hammond, 61, of Bath, passed away on Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 8:33 p.m. She was born on July 11, 1964 in Havana, Illinois to Kenneth and Della (Craggs) France. She married Randy Hammond on July 25, 2005.

Lori is survived by her husband, Randy Hammond of Bath; siblings, Vickie (Eric) Walston and Jim (Andrea) France; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Peggy (Charlie) Lane.
Lori was baptized at Summum Christian Church. She worked for Monsanto in Mason City, for the Village of Bath in maintenance, and managed several Dollar General stores. Lori enjoyed gardening, arts and crafts, fishing, boating, traveling, and camping. She loved decorating, especially at Christmas, and took pride in helping decorate the Village of Bath each year. One of her greatest accomplishments was building her home alongside her husband, Randy. Above all, Lori loved spending time with her family, her dogs Dax and Cooper, and her husband, Randy.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Summum Christian Church, with a visitation one hour prior to the service at 10:00 a.m. Rev. Dick Meehan will officiate. Burial will follow the service at Bath Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date at VFW Post #6408 in Havana.
Memorial donations may be made in Lori’s name to the Village of Bath. Online condolences can be left for her family at www.hurleyfh.com.
Hurley Funeral home in Havana is in charge of arrangements.