Dr. John Kaeser

May 14, 1932 — July 16, 2014

MARION – Dr. John L. R. Kaeser, 82, of Marion, died peacefully at home at 7:24 a.m., Wednesday, July 16, 2014, and went to be with his Lord and Savior following a courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease. A Celebration of Life will be held for Dr. Kaeser on Thursday, July 24, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ, 930 W. Cherry St., Marion, with the Rev. John Holst officiating. Interment will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion. A time of visitation will be held at the church on Wednesday, July 23^rd, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. John was born in Marion, Illinois, to John F. and Elsa (Weber) Kaeser on May 14, 1932. He married Romelle Harris of Marion on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1954. Dr. Kaeser will be sadly missed by his children, Diane Lazorchak of Marion and David and April Kaeser of Truxton, MO; grandchildren, Michael and Michelle Lazorchak, Jessica and Kristen Effinger, and John David Kaeser; sister, Elflora Aikman of Marion; brother-in-law, Dale and Toni Harris of Denver, CO and sister-in-law, Marcia and David Braswell of Belleville, IL; his sweet puppy, Molly; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends, who all loved him dearly. During his life on earth, John Kaeser was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, dentist, teacher, and friend. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Romelle, July 24, 2012; son, Steven Dale Kaeser, October 25, 2005; and brother-in-law, Sam Aikman. Dr. Kaeser graduated from Marion High School in 1950, attended SIUC for two years and then graduated from University of Illinois Dental School in Chicago, where he received his D.D.S. in 1956. He then enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served as a Captain in the Dental Corps at Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas. In 1958, Dr. Kaeser returned to Marion to start his dental practice in his hometown. During his professional career, he served as a dentist at the Marion Federal Penitentiary when needed, mentored dental students from U of I Dental School, and assisted several others dentists with setting up or liquidating their dental practices. Many of his friends and patients may recall an incident, in 1984, when he fell from a ladder on a Thursday afternoon, broke both wrists, drove himself to Marion, had major surgery and pins put into one arm and a cast put on the other, but returned to his patients the following Tuesday. He did have some cancellations, but most of his patients came to their appointments anyway, because of the confidence they had in their beloved dentist. Dr. John continued to practice dentistry in Marion until 2000, when he sold his dental practice to Dr. Mark Bruce. John was a gentleman farmer, who loved to ride his tractor, but he knew that even though he was 68 when he sold his practice, he was not ready to retire. Dr. Kaeser accepted an opportunity to serve as the supervising dentist for the John A. Logan College Dental Hygiene program. He loved to teach and to mentor the students enrolled in this program. He remained at JALC until his health forced him to retire in the spring of 2008, at the age of 76. In addition to being a dentist and teacher, Dr. Kaeser was very involved in his church and community. He was a lifelong member of the Zion United Church of Christ, where he served as a member of the Chancel Choir, a Sunday School teacher, member and President of the Church Council, as well as being chairman of several building projects. Having been an athlete himself, John volunteered as an umpire for the Marion Youth Baseball League for 31 years. Dr. Kaeser was very interested in real estate and he maintained an active license as a Real Estate Broker for several years. Through the years, Dr. Kaeser has been a member of several professional, community and civic organizations such as the Illinois Dental Society, Southern Illinois Dental Society, Rotary International, Marion Cultural and Civic Center Foundation, Community Savings and Loan, and the Marion Unit 2 School Board. In 2000, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Marion Chamber of Commerce. Blue Funeral Home in Marion has been entrusted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Zion United Church of Christ, Marion; Hospice of Southern Illinois; or the National Parkinson Foundation, PO Box 5018, Hagerstown MD 21741 and will also will be accepted at Blue Funeral Home/ 1704 N. Court St/ Marion, IL 62959. The family would especially like to thank the many caregivers and friends who assisted John and Romelle during their many struggles the past 6½ years, along with the caring staff of Hospice of Southern Illinois.

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Thursday, July 24, 2014

Starts at 11:00 am (Central time)

Zion United Church of Christ

, Marion, IL 62959

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Dr. John Kaeser

May 14, 1932 — July 16, 2014

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