Assumption Golden Prairie News

08/23/2026

🇺🇸 Bennie Dean Davidson, 94, of Assumption, died August 17, 2026 in Taylorville, IL Skilled Nursing & Rehab.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24 in Seitz Funeral Home, Assumption. A visitation will begin one hour prior to service time. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Assumption, IL. Memorials may be made to Assumption VFW Tacusah Post #6577 or the donor’s choice.

Bennie was born on December 16, 1931, in Bingham, IL, the son of Jerry and Bernice (Meyer) Davidson. After his father’s death, Bennie was raised by his mother and stepfather, Eddie Spires. He married Barbara L. Cushing on April 19, 1955, in Taylorville. She survives.

Bennie proudly served in the United States Army during the Korean War and continued his commitment to service through the Assumption VFW Tacusah Post #6577 and the Assumption American Legion Post #284. He worked for Caterpillar for 35 years before retiring in 1992. He cherished his 34 years of retirement, enjoying the simple pleasures he loved most—traveling, tending to his garden, and, above all, spending time with his kids and grandkids.

Surviving are his wife, Barbara; sons, Mike Davidson of Moweaqua, Jerry (Karen) Davidson of Pana, James D. (Terry) Davidson of Ramsey, and Bill (Karen) Davidson of Bristol, TN; five grandkids; three great-grandkids; and brother-in law, Bob Hanabarger.
Preceding him in death were his parents; step-father; daughters-in-law, Cynthia Davidson and Dee Davidson; and sister, Marilyn Hanabarger.

Seitz Funeral Home, Assumption, has been entrusted with the care and service arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.seitzfh.com

08/09/2026

Justine Marie Jackson, 67, died August 3, 2026 in HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield, IL.

Per the family’s wishes, there will be no services. Memorials may be made to the Tacusah Outreach Food Pantry.

Justine was born on December 23, 1958, in Taylorville, IL, the daughter of Royal J. and Norma J. (Muir) Jackson. She dedicated much of her life to caring for others, working as a Certified Nursing Assistant and as a babysitter. In her free time, Justine loved knitting and crocheting.

Surviving are her brother, Royal (Pam) Jackson of Assumption; sister, Rowena Pfeffer of Assumption; nephew, Patrick; niece, Lexi; and great-great nephews, Liam and Laz.
Justine was preceded in death by her parents.

Seitz Funeral Home, Assumption, has been entrusted with the care and service arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.seitzfh.com

07/29/2026

Jessie Ann Fyffe, 78, of Macon, IL, died July 27, 2026, in Imboden Creek Gardens, Decatur, IL.

Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Monday, August 10 in Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua. A visitation will be from 11 -1 prior to service time. Memorials may be made to Macon United Methodist Church or Southern Illinois Center for Independent Living or SAIL (Soyland Access to Independent Living).

Jessie was born on November 27, 1947 in Decatur, IL, the daughter of John A. and Edna Mae (Appenbrink) Carr, Jr. She was a faithful member of Macon United Methodist Church and had a passion for baking. She dedicated countless hours to serving others through the Moweaqua Food Pantry, St. Mary's Auxiliary, and as an election judge for various local precincts.

Surviving are her son, Jason (Natasha) Gautier of S. Beloit; daughter, Natalie (Adam Hartshorn) of Owensburg, IN; grandchildren, Oliver, Ophelia, Zion, and Zeb; brothers, John “Jac” Carr III and David (Ann) Carr), all of Macon; and sister, Martha Henderson of Moweaqua.

Preceding her in death are her parents and grandson, Zeke.

Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua, has been entrusted with the care and service arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.seitzfh.com

07/17/2026

Lawrence Edgar “Larry” Demascal, 68, of Shelbyville, IL, passed away Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in his residence.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 18 at Glenwood Cemetery, William Blyman Addition, in Shelbyville, with Father Pawel Augustyniak officiating. Family and friends are invited to meet at Howe and Yockey Funeral Home in Shelbyville on Saturday from 10-11 a.m. Memorials may be given to the National Rifle Association.

Larry was born on April 19, 1958, at Fort Dix in New Jersey, the son of Joseph Edgar and Mary Bernadine (McWhorter) Demascal. Larry graduated from Assumption High School in the Class of 1976. He worked as a team leader for Graphic Packaging in Shelbyville for many years, retiring in 2020. Larry was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed shooting sports and was a member of the Windsor Gun Club and the Effingham County Sportsman’s Club. Larry was a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Assumption, IL and the National Rifle Association, and was a skilled woodworker.

He is survived by his brothers, Mike Demascal (Diana) of Keithville, LA and Mark Demascal (Latisha) of Atwood; aunts, Jane Evaschuk of Naperville and Mary Barnes of Joliet: and many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and -nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, David Demascal; and sisters, Monica Demascal and Suzie Philippi.

Send condolences at www.howeandyockey.com

07/15/2026

Sondra Sue Bugg, 86, of Assumption, passed away on July 13, 2026 in the Eastern Star Home, Macon, IL.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, July 16 from 5-7 p.m. at Seitz Funeral Home in Assumption. Funeral services will be held at the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Assumption on Friday, July 17 at 10 a.m. with Pastor Tom Mulch presiding. Burial will be in Pleasant View Cemetery, Assumption. Memorials may be made to the Assumption Public Library, Central A&M Foundation or Assumption Ambulance Service.

Sondra was born on June 3, 1940 in Champaign, IL, the daughter of Kenneth and Lula Mae (Stanley) Gaskill. She was raised in Monticello, IL. After graduating from Monticello H.S., she attended Millikin University before transferring to the University of Illinois to study secondary education to become an English teacher. While at the University of Illinois, she met the love of her life, James Edward Bugg. They married on June 24, 1962 in Monticello, IL and moved to Arlington Heights where James completed is ROTC military service and Sondra taught English at Palatine High School. In 1964, they moved back to the Bugg family farm in Assumption where they raised their family of four children. While in Assumption, Sondra taught English at Blue Mound HS, Meridian HS, and Mt. Zion HS. They resided on the family farm until 2024 when they both moved to Easter Star Home in Macon. James and Sondra were happily married for 63 years. He preceded her in death on January 29, 2026.

Sondra was a dedicated member of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Assumption, serving as an Elder on the Presbyterian Session. She was also a member of the Assumption Historical Society, Assumption Optimist Club, United Presbyterian Women, Decatur Christian Women’s Connection, and her local book club. Sondra was a retired high school English teacher and former 4-H leader who found great joy in educating, mentoring, and serving others throughout her life. As an educator, she also served as the director of school plays, student council sponsor, and scholastic bowl sponsor. Other than raising her children, helping her students realize their potential was her passion.
Sondra was an avid reader and enjoyed all classic literature; especially Shakespeare. One of the highlights of her travels with James was visiting the Globe Theater in London. She also enjoyed their travels to the U.S. National Parks, Civil War battle fields, the Galapogos Islands, Machu Picchu, the Greek islands, and even an African safari. In retirement, she enjoyed nothing more than traveling with her husband.

Surviving are her sons, Todd Edward (Gina) Bugg of Bloomington, Kent Andrew (Deborah) Bugg of Lodi, WI, and Matthew James (Crystal) Bugg of Assumption; daughter, Amy Elizabeth Bugg of Omaha, NE; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and sister, Nancy Charlee Walters.
Preceding her in death were her husband, James; parents; and granddaughter, Megan Bugg.
Seitz Funeral Home, Assumption, has been entrusted with the care and service arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at

07/03/2026

06/30/2026

Jean Evelyn Mitchell, 95, of Moweaqua, died June 28, 2026 in Randall Residence, Decatur, IL.

Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. Thursday, July 2 in Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua. Visitation be one hour prior to service time. Burial will be in Bethel Cemetery, Blue Mound, IL. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church of Moweaqua or Hands of God Hospice.

Jean was born on June 4, 1931 in Blue Mound, IL, the daughter of Wayne and Vera (Lawler) Damery. She married Billie Lee Mitchell on August 20, 1949 in Blue Mound. He preceded her in death on August 2, 2022.
Jean was a member of First United Methodist Church of Moweaqua and a former member of the Shelmaco Club.

Surviving are her children, Pam (Jerry) Nagel, Randy (Cheryl) Mitchell, and Sharon (Mike) Tintori; grandchildren, Craig (Jiraporn) Mitchell, Cole (Rachel) Mitchell, Connor (Ashlyn) Mitchell, Angelo (Ashley) Tintori, Ashley (Bryce) Damery, and Anthony (Kelsey) Tintori; and great-grandchildren, Natalie, Colin, Avery, Adyline, Audrey, Alaina, Amelia, Gianna, Dominic, Braxton, Cooper, and Conley.
Preceding her in death were her husband; parents; two sisters; and great-granddaughter, Emmie.

Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua, has been entrusted with the care and service arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.seitzfh.com

06/16/2026

🇺🇸 Edward Scott Oglesby, 65, of Tucson, AZ, died May 7, 2026 in Tucson.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, June 19 in Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua, IL, with a visitation beginning one hour prior to service time. A private burial will be held in Friends Creek Cemetery, Argenta, IL. Full military honors will be provided. Memorials may be made to the Border Patrol Foundation www.borderpatrolfoundation.org

Edward was born on April 4, 1961 in Decatur, IL, to Paul and Dorothy (Yeoman) Oglesby. He grew up in Moweaqua, and graduated from Moweaqua High Schol in 1979. Edward went on to graduate from Western Illinois University after which he was commissioned into the U.S. Army, beginning his 29 years of service to America. He graduated from the Armor Officer Basic Course in Fort Knox, KY, and served in Germany and Fort Knox, being honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. During his Army service he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Parachutist Badge.

He joined the United States Border Patrol in 1996 and served his entire 21-year career in southern Arizona in the Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector. Upon his retirement in 2018 the chief patrol agent of Tucson Sector noted that Border Patrol Agent Oglesby’s commitment as a career law enforcement officer served to improve the border environment for his country, community and area law enforcement and epitomized the Border Patrol credo “Honor First”.

Survivors include brother Paul Oglesby, sister-in-law Paula Petribu Oglesby and nieces Isabel and Victoria Oglesby, all of Decatur.
Preceding him in death were his parents and brother, John Oglesby.

Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua, has been entrusted with the care and service arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.seitzfh.com

06/08/2026

🇺🇸 Gary G. Alward, 81, of Moweaqua, died May 31, 2026 in Shelbyville Manor, Shelbyville, IL, with his family by his side.

A graveside service, with full military honors, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 9 in Westside Cemetery, Moweaqua. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, June 14, from 1-4 p.m. at the Shelbyville VFW. We invite all who knew Gary to come share stories and memories. Memorials may be made to the Heart Transplant Association of St. Louis or Moweaqua Fireman’s Club.

Gary was born on December 10, 1944 in Decatur, IL, the son of Howard Grant and Ruth (Beery) Alward. He married Brenda Butler on August 11, 1981 in Elko, NV. She survives. Gary grew up in Shelbyville, IL and graduated from Shelbyville High School in the class of 1963. After graduation he worked at the Oliver Corporation until enlisting in the United States Army.

After returning home, Gary returned to Oliver Corporation for a time, then joined his father on the family farm in Penn Township, near Moweaqua. Gary had many talents and hobbies. He was a master mechanic and took pride in keeping the farm machinery operational. He enjoyed a hobby room where together with his son, Matt, they built many model airplanes. He was a history buff and was very well read on most of the American wars. Gary truly enjoyed watching old westerns on TV. Gunsmoke was a favorite. Gary was content to spend his time on the farm living a simple life.

Surviving are his wife, Brenda; son, Matthew Grant (Kelsey) Alward of Moweaqua; and brothers, Phillip Alward of Decatur and Bradford Alward of Moweaqua.
Preceding him in death were his parents; and sister-in-law, Vicki Alward.

Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua, has been entrusted with the care and service arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.seitzfh.com

05/29/2026

Michael Lynn Burgener, 72, of Moweaqua, died May 25, 2026 in his home surrounded by family.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 30 in Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua. A visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 29, also in the funeral home. Burial will follow at Little Flock Cemetery, Moweaqua. Memorials may be made to Moweaqua Fireman’s Club or Quad County Hospice.

Michael was born on July 28, 1953 in Decatur, IL, the son of Lawrence and LaVon (Robinson) Burgener. He married Diane Myers on April 10, 1976 in Moweaqua. She survives.

Michael was a member of First United Methodist Church of Moweaqua and a former member of the Moweaqua Lions Club. He owned and operated Burgener Trucking, a career he truly loved and took great pride in. In his spare time, Michael enjoyed Corvettes, trains, and his grandpups, but nothing brought him more joy than spending time with his granddaughters.

Surviving are his wife, Diane; daughters:,Kelly (Stephen) Gregory of Wentzville, MO and Leann (Ramiro) Estrada of Moweaqua; granddaughters, Tristen and Kora Gregory of Wentzville, MO; and brother, Larry (Sandy) Burgener of Moweaqua.
Preceding him in death were his parents.

Seitz Funeral Home, Moweaqua, has been entrusted with the care and service arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.seitzfh.com