Warren Craig
Warren F. Craig, 94, died on May 26 at OSF St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on July 9 at Calvert Metzler Memorial Home, 1115 E. Washington Street, Bloomington. Visitation precedes the service, from 11:00 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the funeral home. Inurnment will take place on July 10 at Park Hill Cemetery in Bloomington at 11 a.m. with military rites accorded by the Bloomington-Normal American Legion Honor Guard.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the North Bridge Baptist Church in Normal or to the Scottish Rite Recreation Area Camping Club. Memorial contributions for either group may be sent directly to Ms. Shirley Craig, 124 S Orr Dr., Normal.
Warren was born Dec. 24, 1920, in Fairbury to Will and Georgia Craig. In 1946 he married Joybelle Dickey. She survives him, as does his sister Helen Fecske of Washington, Illinois. He is also survived by his children Dr. Barbara Craig-Schniepp in Texas; Shirley (James Robinson) in Normal; Linda (Rodney Reed) in Missouri; and Paul (Inyoung) in Virginia, as well as by granddaughters Dr. Sara Robinson (Dr. Matt Powers), Julia Robinson, and Elizabeth Craig and his great-granddaughter Scout Robinson Powers. Warren was preceded in death by his brothers Sterling and Willard and his sister Jean Sutter.
Warren was proud to have served in the U.S. Army during World War II and often told stories of his time running a military pharmacy in the Aleutian Islands. After the war he graduated from Illinois State Normal University and earned a Masters Degree from the University of Illinois. He taught speech, English, reading, and drama in Lincoln, Bloomington, and Normal, serving as Unit 5’s first Reading Coordinator.
Warren operated Craig Canvas Service for over 50 years. An active member of the North Bridge Baptist Church of Normal, he held many church offices and was part of the American Baptist Men’s disaster relief team. He formed the first neighborhood association in Normal and assisted other neighborhoods to do the same.
The Craigs became the first off-campus ISU student housing providers to integrate their rented rooms. They later hosted many international students and were in return welcomed visitors to homes in Japan and Germany.
Warren enjoyed using his dramatic talents for the benefit of the McLean County Historical Society, the Masons, and the Retired Teachers Association. The first local Habitat for Humanity warehouse started in his garage. He wrote and published a newsletter for his camping club. These are just a few of the myriad organizations that benefitted from Warren’s volunteer spirit. Throughout his entire life, Warren always strove to help those around him. In recognition of his contributions to the community, the City of Normal named him its 2006 Citizen of the Year.
His help, his grin, and his ever-present bow tie will be missed by all.
Doris Knott
Doris Jean Knott, 74 died May 26 in Downers Grove from complications of rare neurodegeneration of the brain diagnosed as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and/or Corticobasal Degeneration.
Her funeral service will be held at 5 p.m., Saturday at the Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury. Cremation rites will be accorded at the conclusion of the service with an Inurnment to take place in Chenoa Cemetery at a later date.
Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m., Saturday, prior to her service also at the funeral home in Fairbury. The family welcomes memorials to be directed to Mayo Clinic-Neuroscience Research, Brain Support Network, CurePSP.
Doris was born in Centralia, Mo.; a daughter to William R. and Mary Davis Bagley Sr. She married Donald Knott in Fairbury in 1959. Her husband survives in Chenoa.
Also surviving are two daughters, Laura (Darryl) Price of Bellevue, Neb.; Deb (Dale) Olson of Downers Grove, Ill.; one son, Donald “DJ” (Linda) Knott of Richmond, Ill.; one sister, Frances Bagley of Chenoa, Ill.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, Wanda Peck, three brothers, William “Bud” Bagley, Ronal Bagley and Ed Bagley.
Doris lived in rural Chenoa and retired from State Farm Insurance in 2006. She worked a variety of jobs including machinist for Seibert & Sons, chef at Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community and print shop production at Champion Federal and State Farm.
Many thanks to all that served her medical needs especially Mayo Clinic-Behavioral Neurology, Northwestern University-Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Rush University-Movement Disorders Clinic, and the University of Illinois-Chicago-Neurology.
Doris was cared for by her daughter and son-in-law, Deb and Dale, and husband, Don. She will be especially remembered for her work ethic, kindness towards others, acceptance of all, and her intense caring and love for her family and friends.
An online guest book and registry are available at www.duffypilsmemorialhome.com.
