SPECIAL EVENTS

Cast announced for PAG’s ‘An Evening Around the Radio’

The Performing Arts Guild of Mt. Morris will present “An Evening Around the Radio” Friday through Sunday, April 21-23 at the Pinecrest Grove Theatre, 500 Evergreen Lane, Mt. Morris.

The audience will be entertained with the following radio plays:

• Burns & Allen - Easter Hat War Council

• Abbott & Costello - Who’s on First

• Father Knows Best - Aunt Martha and the Ball Game

• My Friend Irma - The Boss Buys a Race Horse

• Little Orphan Annie - Annie’s Big Surprise Party

Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m. The Sunday matinee is at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $12, with students and seniors (65 and over) at $10. Reservations are

Obituaries

Dwayne Marshall Zipse

Born: March 14, 1939

Died: March 31, 2023

PECATONICA –Dwayne Marshall

Zipse was born on March 14, 1939, and joined his Father in Heaven early Friday morning, March 31, 2023.

Dwayne was married to Mary Jane (Floto) on Nov.17, 1957 and formed a strong farming partnership steeped in a love for land and family. Together they built a dairy farm that provided the best place to raise a family. He grew up active in the 4-H and FFA, loved

JOHN “JACK” IRVIN BIRKHOLZ

JR.

Born: January 8, 1942 in Stephenson County, Illinois

Died: March 24, 2023 in Freeport, Illinois

John “Jack” Irvin Birkholz Jr., 81, of German Valley, IL passed away Friday March 24, 2023 at Manor Court of Liberty Village in Freeport, IL. He was born January 8, 1942 in Stephenson County to John and Amanda (Schoonhoven) Birkholz. On September 7, 1991 he married Marsha Manus at First Baptist Church in Freeport, IL. Jack’s employment included farming, truck driving, milk hauling, and most recently driving school bus for Forreston and Eastland Schools. Jack had a very strong faith and he sang in the church choir. His faith carried him through the end of his life. He enjoyed Christian country music. Sports was a big part of Jack’s life, espe- suggested. playing his trombone and singing.

For information or to order tickets, call 815-734-2103 or order online at www. performingartsguild.com and click on tickets. Tickets went on sale April 3.

Cast members are Dylan Stormont, Montana Larson, Mary Mead Cantrell, Gerald Sheely, Priscilla Osborne, Jeff Bold, Mary Cheatwood, Larry Ubben, Norah Coutts, Dave Sheely, Kelly Houston, Hannah Sheely, Julie Spaine, Ethan Sheely, April Bold, Dennis Cheatwood, Eleanor Guinn and Emily Borgman, with Renae Taylor as the Foley.

The play will be directed by David Sheely and Trudy Whalen. Karen Urish is the producer.

When they left the dairy, Dwayne filled is mornings, afternoons and many evenings driving the school bus for the Forrestville Valley, Pecatonica and Winnebago school districts. This also allowed him into support his granddaughters’ varied activities.

He was a member of the Leaf River and Ogle County Pomona Granges. Dwayne’s family was named the Illinois State Grange Farm Family of the Year in the early 1970s. In 2006, he was recognized as a Servant of the People by the Pomona Grange. For many years, Dwayne served as a trustee for both the German Valley Grain Elevator and Leaf River Fire Department and was also a board member of the American Dairy Association. He was an active member of both St. James Lutheran

Quilt Guild meeting is April 17

The April 17 program for the Country Crossroads Quilt Guild will have Rhonda Streich from Sassy Farm Chicks Quilt Company in Orfordville, Wisconsin, who will present a trunk show at 7 p.m.

She also will be presenting a workshop for the members, starting at 10 a.m., teaching a fabric strip technique to create a Mariner’s Compass.

On May 15, the guild will offer a special musical entertainment program featuring Lil Rev (Marc Revenson), who will offer a heartwarming, one-man show that weaves a unique tapestry of songs, stories, poems and quilting lore.

He dedicates his program to the millions of quilters whose gifts of patience have kept the world warm in the thick of winter, brought a piece of home to the thick of war and

See SPECIAL EVENTS , Page 12 and Seward Congregational churches. For more than forty years, Dwayne and Mary Jane enjoyed playing cards and dominos in their card club with friends. He loved playing euchre and was up for a game with anyone who would stop by for a visit. He played even when he first went to the nursing home. Thank you to the staff at Pinecrest Manor Nursing Center, and the Northern Illinois and Serenity Hospices for your care and compassion.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane, three children – Gaylen, Gwyn and Sarah – granddaughters Adriane (Jake) White, Angela (Tyler) Patterson, Alyssa (Amanda) Poggioli, Amanda (Mitch) Hopkins, April Poggioli, and great grandchildren Melissa and Marshall White; Hudson and Nash Patterson; Benjamin cially the Forreston Cardinals and he loved attending Cardinal games. Jack was also an avid Chicago Cubs, Bears and Bulls fan. Family was important to Jack and he loved to gather with family and friends. Jack is survived by his wife Marsha; children Rachel (Darrell) Osterloo, Mike (Mary Jo) Birkholz, Angela (Russ) Medenblik, and Paul (Sarah) Mullen; grandchildren Nathaniel Osterloo, Nicholas Osterloo, Brad (Natalie) Birkholz, Emilie (Justin) Magana, Mallory Birkholz, Abbi Medenblik, Ava Medenblik, Anna Mullen, and Joshua Mullen; three great-grandchildren; siblings Joyce (Steve) Wubbena and Linda (Jon) Craft; and several cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents John and Amanda Birkholz. A memorial service will be held 11:00 A.M. Saturday April 15, 2023 at Grace Valley Christian Reformed Church with Rev. Eric Schlukebir and Rev. Jerry Birkholz officiating. A visitation will be held from 10:00 A.M. until the time of service. Burial will be in Grace Valley Christian Reformed Church Cemetery. A memorial has been established for the Forreston School Athletic Booster Club.

Loudermilk; Jackson, Landon, Weston, Brooklyn Hopkins; his brother Kenneth, sisters and brothers-in-law, many nieces and nephews, and April’s dog, Cooper, who provides companionship for her grandparents.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Nelda Zipse, and sister-in-law, Theresa Zipse.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday April 4, 2023 at 11:30 A.M. in Seward Congregational Church with Rev. Joel Hicke officiating. Visitation will be held on Tuesday April 4, 2023 from 10:00 A.M. until service time in the church. A family burial will be held in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Freeport, IL. Memorials will be directed to Seward Congregational Church and Northern Illinois Hospice.

VIRGIL “GENE” EUGENE PATTERSON

Born: April 16, 1951 in Kankakee, Illinois

Died: March 20, 2023 in Dixon, Illinois

Virgil “Gene” E. Patterson, Jr., 71, passed away March 20, 2023 in Dixon. He was born April 16, 1951 to Virgil E. and Lois Marie (Marshel) Patterson in Kankakee, Illinois. He married Martha Ann Thompson of Mt. Morris, Illinois. They had one son, Billy Patterson. Gene served in the United States Army. Gene’s main occupation was working on cars, trucks and helping others. He also worked on the construction of the Byron Nuclear Plant. Gene is survived by his wife Annie of Oregon, his son Billy (Kelly) of Polo, his 2 granddaughters Tarah (Jake) Ziegler of Oregon and Mallory Patterson of Polo. He was also looking forward to being a great-grandfather in June. Other survivors include 3 sisters, Maggie Smith, Helen Disch and Mary (Victor) Struck all of Mt. Morris. His 2 brothers Roger Patterson of Mt. Morris and Raymond Patterson of Ashton. He had many nephews and a niece.

He was preceded in death by his parents, an older sister Linda (Virgil) Payne, an older brother Bud (Rita) Millenbine, 2 nieces Rosalie Otten, Angela (Kevin) Boss and his nephew Roger Patterson, Jr. Cremation rights were observed.

• STORM

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“We were upstairs in the house when my mom called and said ‘You’d better get in the basement,’” Amanda said. “We really didn’t hear anything. Then one of the firefighters came to the door and wanted to know if we were OK, and I said, ‘Yes, why?’ And he said, ‘Your shed is gone.’ He’s a friend of mine, and, at first, I thought he was just messing with me. Then I looked out and saw the shed was gone.”

The roof of the large metal machine shed was blown several yards to the northeast, landing just a few feet from Illinois 72. The Gempeler’s semitruck and trailer was still sitting in the shed inside the flattened walls along with several other items. The family’s home and garage had what appeared to be light damage.

“My phone notification didn’t come on until everything was over,” Amanda said. “My mom lives in Freeport and has cable TV so she thought she’d better call us. We are a little shaken up, but we’re good.”

To the southeast, five miles east of Lanark at 30369 Illinois 64, Jim Ludwig, 70, of Ludwig Family Farms, could see the storm’s aftermath in every direction he looked.

“We have a tremendous amount of damage,” he said. “I think everything is damaged except for the house. Somehow that was spared.”

“Everything” included several large metal machine sheds and 125foot galvanized grain bins, with one of the towers squished in an upright position between the others.

“We have 500,000 bushels of grain (corn) stored in there,” he said pointing to the grain bins. “You can see damage on each of them. Every bit is ruined. I don’t know about the corn yet.”

Portions of the home across Illinois 64 were tossed into the large machine shed busting out windows and covering trucks and semitractors with debris and broken glass.

Ludwig lives a few miles away from the main farm, but Jan Sukut, 70, was in the Ludwig family home when the storm hit about 7 p.m.

“I knew it was coming and I was looking out the front window and the first thing I saw were big pine trees coming across the road. I wasn’t scared. I had been in a tornado once before in Missouri,” she said.

Sukut called 911.

“The police and fire trucks were here within seconds,” she said.

Ludwig noted the American flag standing on a large pole to the side of one of the large machine sheds was untouched as pieces of the home and garage located across Illinois 64 lay on the side of the building.

“The flag made it through and the home I grew up in was spared, but all the trees around it are gone,” Ludwig said. “I will need to replace eight overhead garage doors. Everything has damage, especially the grain setup. One of the buildings is only six months old and we have all our spring tillage equipment in there.”