Norma A. Seaman

Norma A. Seaman, 93, of Farmington, passed away at 4:12 AM on Sunday, June 7, 2026 at Farmington Village in Farmington, IL. She was born on June 24, 1932, to Elmer and Elizabeth Patterson. She married Henry W. Seaman on January 17, 1953 in Crystal Lake, Michigan. He preceded her in death on April 22, 2015.

She is also preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Shirley Bartlett.

She is survived by two children, Jerry (Kim) Seaman and Paul (Cindy) Seaman; one brother, Martin (Eleanor) Patterson; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Norma was a member of the Farmington Moose Lodge, Farmington American Legion, St. Matthews Catholic Church in Farmington and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Canton. She was also one of the original founding members of the Farmington Historical Museum.

Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Canton, IL. Monsignor Timothy Nolan will officiate. Cremation rites will be accorded with Sedgwick Funeral Homes & Crematory in Canton, IL. Burial will take place at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Farmington, IL at a later date. Memorials may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Canton, IL. To leave an online condolence you may go to www.sedgwickfuneralhomes.com

Charles L. Thum

Charles L. Thum age 74, of Greenfield, TN, passed away on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

A Memorial Service for  Charles will be held Thursday April 23rd at 1 p.m. at Williams Funeral Home in Greenfield. Visitation will begin at 12 noon and go until time his service at the funeral home. The family is planning a celebration of life in Fulton County at a later date. 

Chuck was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth, his father, Charles H Thum, mother Lois Fidler Thum Hess, stepfather Alfred Hess, and brother Edward Ray Thum. 

 

Chuck is survived by his 2 sons, Jedidiah and Jacob Thum, and daughter Tara Stone , 6 Grandchildren Lukas, Andrew, Samuel and Sadie Thum, Devon Vestal, Riley Todd, 3 siblings,  Joe (Holly) Thum of Smithfield IL,  Penny (David) Grady of Lee’s Summit, Mo, Aaron (Veanna) Thum , Canton, IL. One Sister-in-law Gretchen Thum, Smithfield IL. and numerous niece’s and nephews. 

 

Chuck proudly served in the United States Navy for 6 years during 1970-1976 attaining the rank of E5.

 

Chuck worked as an Electrician for Illinois Power for several years, then later took a position working for TVA for 30 + years, retiring as an Electrical Maintenance Manager.  

 

     Chuck loved to hunt turkeys in Nebraska and Missouri with all of his brothers and bears in Michigan with his brother Ray. He made an annual trip to Illinois to deer hunt with his brother Aaron. He always wanted to go on a safari but never realized that goal. 

 

     Chuck had a hand in raising some of his grandsons and in getting them into trade school where they are starting successful careers. 

 A Celebration of Life will be taking place at the Red Brick School in Smithfield on Saturday, June 20^th from 2-4.

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.