Wendell H. Childers

Wendell H. Childers MARION-Wendell H. Childers, 67, of Marion passed away at 5:30 AM, Monday, December 21, 2009 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM, Monday, December 28, 2009 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion with Monsignor Thomas Flach officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, Sunday, December 27, 2009 at the Blue Funeral Home in Marion. Prayer services will be at 4:45 PM and 4th Degree Knights of Columbus rites will be at 7:00 PM on Sunday evening. Burial will be at St. Dominic Cemetery in Wyoming, Illinois. Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital; envelopes are available at the funeral home or may be sent c/o Blue Funeral Home, PO Box 411, Marion, IL 62959. Wendell was born on September 23, 1942 in Mannsville, Kentucky to Trapper and Della Tommie (Reed) Childers. He married Sarah Jane Ryan on October 8, 1966 in Peoria; together they shared 43 years of marriage. Born the 3rd child of 4 to a Kentucky farming family, Wendell left home at 16 to find his way in the world. After finding steady work at Pabst Brewery in Peoria Heights, Illinois, he met Sarah Jane Ryan and eventually convinced her to marry him. Three children quickly followed, and in 1980 he took in foster child from the Vietnamese boat escape. Wendell had a 19 year career at the brewery before he moved his family to Marion, Illinois and started Liqui-Green Lawn Care, the first lawn service in Southern Illinois. After many years of serving his customers, he sold the lawn business and began his last career, building and managing assisted living facilities in Marion. It was a great fit, as the elderly clients became part of his extended family. Survivors include his wife Jane Childers of Marion; son and daughter-in-law, Michael Ryan and LuEllen Childers of Madison, Wisconsin; daughter and son-in-law, Deborah Anne and Gregory Colvis of Knoxville, Tennessee; son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Cindy Childers of Marion; grandchildren, Rianne Colvis, Ginny Colvis, Caitlin Colvis, Patrick Childers, Jack Childers, Timothy Childers, Erin Childers and Sarah Childers; one great grandchild on the way; foster son and wife, Phu and Tuyet’ Bui and their son, Patrick Paul Bui; brothers and sister-in-law, Manuel and Anita Reed and Linwood Childers; and sister, Rita Jo Childers. He was preceded in death by his parents. A fun-loving and gregarious guy, Wendell always was the life of the party. Throughout his life, he was an outdoorsman who enjoyed boating, hunting, fishing and sports. The father of 2 SIU alumni, he supported Saluki athletics and had season tickets for basketball and football. As a member of Lake of Egypt and Kokopelli Golf Clubs, he was always ready to fill out a foursome. Wendell had a soft heart and would give someone in need the shirt off his back (and often did). Wendell loved people and was always eager to take someone under his wing and mentor them. His latest joy was to enjoy watching his 9 grand kids grow and blossom. A 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a parishioner at St. Joseph Church in Marion, he loved Jesus. He will be greatly missed!