Person Page - 4526

     His Social Security Number was 348-24-5670.⁶ John Welin Jr. was buried at Belvidere Cemetery, Belvidere, Boone Co., Illinois.^2,5 He was born on March 13, 1902 at DeKalb Co., Illinois.^2,6,5 He married Helen Irene McKern, daughter of Charles Albert McKern and Ida Viola Espy, on September 11, 1934 at Boone Co., Illinois.^3,5,7 John Welin Jr. died on April 29, 1965 at Rockford, Winnebago Co., Illinois, at age 63.^2,4,5 He John Welin, 63, of 824 Taft Road, Rockford, a retired farmer, died at 6 p.m. Thursday in his home after an illness of two years. He had lived and Rockford for 16 months and before that farmed in the Flora Township for 13 years. He was born March 13, 1902 in DeKalb County, the son of John and Jenny Nygren Welin. He attended Boone County schools. Mr. Welin was married to Inez Tripp in 1923. She died in 1932. He was later married to Helen McKern in Belvedere in 1934. Mr. Welin was a former member of Zion Lutheran Church of Belvedere. He served in the armed forces during World War I. He is survived by his wife; a son, Jerry of Keithsburg; two daughters, Mrs. Joseph Ruback, R.R.2; and Mrs. Ted Hill rural Garden Prairie; a brother, Franklin; two sisters, Mrs. Thor Sundine, Rockford, and Mrs. Charles Fairgrieves Sr; and five grandchildren. He was predeceased by a granddaughter, Diane Ruback; two brothers Elmer and August; and two half sisters, Mrs. Anna Stevens, of Rockford, and Mrs. Lillie Page. Funeral rites will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Monday in the Witbeck-Wheeler-Sabien Funeral Home by the Rev. Max H. Wolf of Zion Lutheran Church. Interment will be in the Belvedere Cemetery. on April 30, 1965.⁵

     Alta Edith Lowry was buried at Sunset Memorial Gardens, 8800 North Alpine Road, Machesney Park, Winnebago Co., Illinois.¹ She was born on November 3, 1903 at Flag Center, Ogle Co., Illinois.^1,2 As of February 4, 1952,her married name was McKern.² She married Trenton Collins McKern, son of Charles Albert McKern and Ida Viola Espy, on February 4, 1952 at Dubuque, Dubuque Co., Iowa.² Alta Edith Lowry died on August 5, 2000 at Belvidere, Boone Co., Illinois, at age 96.^1,2 She BELVIDERE - Alta E. McKern, 96, a resident of Belvidere since 1981, died at 12:05 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, 2000, in Maple Crest Nursing Home after a brief illness. Born Nov. 3, 1903, in Flag Center, daughter of Charles and Effie Twogood Lowry. Married Adolph Fischer. After his death, she married Trenton C. McKern on Feb. 4, 1952, in Dubuque, Iowa. Formerly employed by Bell Telephone Co., Rockford, as an operator/supervisor. Also, Alta and Trenton owned and operated Mac's Tap in Freeport for a number of years. Survivors include stepdaughter, Marilyn Hanson of Belvidere stepgrandsons Jack (Deb) Kemp of Poplar Grove and Stuart (Julie) Kemp of Belvidere stepgreat-grandchildren Kira, John, Sam and Sarah Kemp sister-in-law, Helen Blakeslee of Rock City and four nephews. Predeceased also by second husband, Trenton, two brothers and six sisters. Graveside services will be private, at her request. on August 9, 2000.²

     Dorothea Elsie "Dorothy" Dillman was buried at Sunset Memorial Gardens, 8800 North Alpine Road, Machesney Park, Winnebago Co., Illinois.¹ She was born in 1908 at Belvidere, Boone Co., Illinois.¹ As of March 5, 1927,her married name was McKern.¹ She married Trenton Collins McKern, son of Charles Albert McKern and Ida Viola Espy, on March 5, 1927 at Boone Co., Illinois.^1,3 Dorothea Elsie "Dorothy" Dillman died in 1955 at Belvidere, Boone Co., Illinois.¹

     Arthur Merritt Blakeslee was buried at East Conneaut Cemetery, Conneaut, Ashtabula Co., Ohio.³ He was born on November 17, 1901 at Ashtabula Co., Ohio.^2,3 He married Helen Irene McKern, daughter of Charles Albert McKern and Ida Viola Espy, on December 9, 1975 at Sarasota Co., Florida.^1,4 Arthur Merritt Blakeslee died on September 22, 1994 at Sarasota Co., Florida, at age 92.²

     Jerry Albert Welin was buried at New Boston Cemetery, New Boston, Mercer Co., Illinois.³ He was born on July 14, 1934 at Rockford, Winnebago Co., Illinois.^2,6,3 He married Phyllis Diehl on May 12, 1962 at Keithsburg, Mercer Co., Illinois.^6,7 Jerry Albert Welin died on September 9, 2009 at Madison, Dane Co., Wisconsin, at age 75.^6,3 He Jerry A. Welin, 75, of Rock City died following complications after surgery Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009, at William S. Middleton Memorial VA Hospital in Madison, Wis. He was born July 14, 1934, in Rockford, son of John and Helen McKern Welin. He attended Kirkland High School. On May 12, 1962, Jerry and Phyllis Chapman were united in marriage. Phyllis died July 2, 1994. Jerry was a semi-truck driver, and worked for the city of Oklahoma City, Okla. A veteran, he served in the U.S. Army. He enjoyed camping, riding his motor scooter and traveling in his motor home. Surviving are two sons, Marty (Debbie) Welin and Ron (Sherry) Welin; one daughter, Dawn Meyers; three grandchildren; two sisters, Lou Hill of Rock City and Elaine (Joe) Rubeck of Belvidere; nieces, Kathy Wolf, Kris Graybill and Jonna Moralis, all of Dakota; and nephews, Larry and David Rubeck. Preceding him in death were his parents, John Welin and Helen Blakeslee; his wife, Phyllis; and brother-in-law, Ted Hill. A private family graveside service will be held at a later date at New Boston. A memorial fund has been established for Stephenson Nursing Center Activity Fund in Freeport. on September 10, 2009.⁶

     Alfred Carter Hadley Jr. was buried at Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW. 102nd Ave., Bushnell, Sumter Co., Florida.^4,7 His Social Security Number was 353-01-4782.⁹ He was born on January 17, 1923 at Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois.^2,3,9,4,5,7 He married Mildred Irene McKern, daughter of Athol Claire McKern and Irene Iowa Veach, on June 19, 1949 at Winnebago Co., Illinois.^1,6 Alfred Carter Hadley Jr. died on January 12, 1998 at Lake Co., Florida, at age 74.^9,3,4,7,8 He Mr. Alfred C. Hadley Jr., 74. retired Air Force technical sergeant. Mr. Hadley, 1204 Pompano Lane, Lady Lake, died Monday, Jan. 12. He was a retired Air Force technical sergeant. Born in LaPorte, Ind., he moved to Central Florida in 1992. He was Protestant. Survivors: wife, Mildred I; daughters, Julie Disher, Montrose, Colo., Susan Scudder, Westminster, Colo; six grandchildren; one great-grandson. National Cremation Society, Lady Lake. Leesburg on January 14, 1998.⁸

     Robert J. Dittrich Robert J. Dittrich was born March 9, 1925, in Elgin, the youngest of three children of Herbert P. and Mary (Zenk) Dittrich. His birth was not without excitement as his mother arrived at the hospital in Elgin by way of sled due to a late winter blizzard. Bob died at his home in Kankakee on Sunday (April 20, 2008).Raised on a farm near the village of Huntley, Bob attended schools in Crystal Lake and Woodstock until the untimely death of his father in 1941. Following the death of his father, he left school to assist his mother and siblings on the family farm until it was sold.With the nation at war, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on Sept. 30, 1943. He served with honor in the 4th Marine Division which was instrumental in the defeat of the Japanese on the islands of Saipan and Iwo Jima. He participated in action against the enemy at Roi-Namur, Marshall Islands in February of 1944 and at Saipan, Marianna Islands in June and July of 1944. Upon his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps in November of 1945, he returned to his home area and attended business school in Rockford before joining Midwest Bottle Cap Company as a service representative in Belvidere.He married the former Margaret McKern on May 15, 1948, in Belvidere, and together over the next 40 years they operated successful restaurants, including the Wedgewood Drive-In in Belvidere, Club Irwin in Irwin, and Jerome's near Kankakee.Bob was a member of the 4th Degree of the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars; and was an active member of St. Patrick's Parish in Kankakee, where he served as an usher. He was also a member of the Irwin Lions Club. He was an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs and for many years organized an annual trip to Wrigley Field for his special group called "I.C.A.S." (Irwin Cub Athletic Society).He was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Mary Dittrich; sister, Angeline McDonald; brothers-in-law, Kenneth McDonald, Robert McKern, Richard McKern, and Carter Hadley; and sister-in-law, Betty McKern.He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Margaret, of Kankakee; four children, John (Lois) Dittrich of Forth Worth, Texas, Jim Dittrich (Chris Wells) of Woodridge, Janet (Myron) Bertram of Bourbonnais, and Jerry (Lisa) Dittrich of Lincoln, N.H; grandchildren, Rob (Mary Beth McGregor) Dittrich of Chicago, Jennifer Dittrich and James Dittrich, both of Carol Stream, Matt (Erika) Keen of Plainfield, Andy Dittrich of Woodridge, Casey (Danielle) Bertram, Kellie (Ryan) Torrenga, and Kayla (Michael Pacton) Bertram, all of Bourbonnais; and one great-grandchild. Also surviving is brother, Howard (Marjorie) Dittrich of Lakeland, Fla; sisters-in-law, Mildred (McKern) Hadley of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. and Norma McKern of Oak Creek, Calif; as well as 19 nieces and nephews.Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home, west Kankakee, with a Mass of Solemn Burial at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Kankakee, at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will follow the Mass at St. James Cemetery, Irwin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests Mass intentions or a donation to a charity of the donor's choice.³ He was buried at Saint James Cemetery, Irwin, Kankakee Co., Illinois.^3,4 He was born on March 9, 1925 at Elgin, Kane Co., Illinois.^3,5,4 He married Margaret McKern, daughter of Athol Claire McKern and Irene Iowa Veach, on May 15, 1948 at Belvidere, Boone Co., Illinois.^1,2,3 Robert J. Dittrich died on April 20, 2008 at Kankakee, Kankakee Co., Illinois, at age 83.^3,5,4