Gary Lynn Springer

Family/Spouse: Georgia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Paul married Leota Mary Birkey on 15 Mar 1945. Leota (daughter of Silas Daniel Birkey and Amanda Mae Stalter) was born on 10 Jan 1919 in El Paso, Livingston Co., IL; died on 25 May 2016 in Eureka, Woodford Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Obit: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/obituaries/leota-springer/article_78a96756-98ab-5949-9538-6c888d209ee9.html#utm_source=pantagraph.com&utm_campaign=%2Femail-updates%2Fobits%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline


TREMONT — Leota M. Springer, 97, formerly of Tremont, passed away at 4:50 a.m. Wednesday (May 25, 2016) at Maple Lawn Care Center, Eureka.
She was born Jan. 10, 1919, in Gridley, to Silas D. and Amanda Stalter Birkey. She married Paul Springer on March 15, 1945, in Morton. He passed away Aug. 15, 1994.
Surviving are three sons, Gail (Linda) Springer, Ross (Cheri) Springer and Ryan (Kirsten) Springer, all of Tremont; two daughters, Rita Nesbit, Normal, and Roma (Dr. Greg) Popp, Jefferson City, Mo.; 16 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; three sisters, Velda Birky, Hopedale; Norma (Merle) Nafziger and Joan (John) Litwiller, both of Minier; and one sister-in-law, Florence Birkey of Flanagan.
She was preceded in death by her parents; one son, Gary; one infant sister, Aldine; two sisters, Marie Oyer and Carolyn Kutzner; one brother, Lowell Birkey; one grandson, John Wilham; one great-granddaughter, Shelby Lanan; and one niece, Cindy Kutzner.
Leota was a homemaker.
She was a member of Hopedale Mennonite Church, its Mennonite Women, and was the church historian for many years. She also volunteered at the Et Cetera Shop in Eureka for many years.
She enjoyed scrapbooking, quilting and photo albums.
Her funeral will be at noon Saturday at Hopedale Mennonite Church. Pastors Kurt Walker and Roger Springer will officiate. Visitation will be from 9 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, also at the church. Burial will be in Mennonite Cemetery, Hopedale. Davis-Oswald Funeral Home, Hopedale, is handling the arrangements.
Memorials may be made to her church or Advocate at Home Hospice, Bloomington.

Resided Tremont, Tazewell Co., IL

Died:
Maple Lawn Care Center

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• USR1: Heart Attack

Notes:

Obit:
Birkey.- Silas Daniel, son of Valentine and Phoebe (Good) Birkey, was born in Fisher, Ill., May 21, 1897; died of a heart attack at Pontiac, Ill., Mar. 12, 1984; aged 86 y. On Dec. 19, 1917, he was married to Amanda Stalter, who survives. Also surviving are 6 daughters (Leota Springer, Marie Oyer, Velda Birky, Norma Nafziger, Joan Litwiller, and Carolyn Kutzner), one son (Lowell), 26 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, 2 brothers (Joe and Joel), and 3 sisters (Katie Zehr, Ada Foley, and Edna Schertz). He was preceded in death by one son (Aldine Birkey). He was a member of Waldo Mennonite Church, where funeral services were held on Mar. 14, in charge of Lester Zook; interment in Waldo Cemetery.

Resided Flanagan, IL

Buried:
Waldo Cemetery

Silas married Amanda Mae Stalter on 19 Dec 1917. Amanda (daughter of Henry Stalter and Mary Stalter) was born on 10 May 1897 in Gridley, Pike Twp., McLean Co., IL; died on 1 Oct 1991 in Bloomington, McLean Co., IL; was buried in Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Amish Mennonite

Notes:

Obit: Peoria Journal Star (Oct 2, 1991):
Flanagan- Amanda M. Birkey, 94, of Flanagan died at 1:25 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, 1991, at Mennonite Hospital in Bloomington. Born May 10, 1897, in Pike Township, Livingston County, to Henry and Mary Stalter Stalter, she married Silas Birkey on Dec. 19, 1912, in Gridley. He died March 12, 1984. One daughter, one brother and one grandchild also preceded her in death.

Surviving are six daughters, Leota Springer, Norma Nafziger and Joan Litwiller, all of Minier, Marie Oyer of Roanoke, Veida (sic) Birky of Delavan and Carolyn Kutzner of Bloomington; one son, Lowell Birkey of Flanagan; two sisters, Ada Springer of Chenoa and Anna Springer of Hopedale; s6 grandchildren; 38 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. She was a life member of Waldo Mennonite Church in rural Gridley.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at her church, the Rev. Lester Zook officiating. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Froelich Memorial Home, Flanagan. Burial will be in Waldo Cemetery. Memorials may be made to her church.


Obit: Gospel Herald
Birkey, Manda Mae Stalter, 94, Flanagan, Ill. Born: May 10, 1897, Pike Twp., Ill., to Henry and Mary (Stalter) Stalter. Died: Oct. 1, 1991, Bloomington, Ill. survivors - children: Lowell, Leota Springer, Norma Nafziger, Joan Litwiller, Marie Oyer, Veida Birkey, Carolyn Kutzner; 26 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren; sisters: Ada Springer, Anna Springer. Predeceased by: Silas Birkey (husband). Funeral and burial: Oct. 4, Waldo Mennonite Church, by Lester Zook.

Died:
Mennonite Hospital

Buried:
Waldo Cemetery

Notes:

Married:
Obit gives year as 1912

Other Events and Attributes:

• Education: Little formal education, but a degree in life’s experiences
• Occupation: Farmer
• Reference Number: 14
• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• USR1: Cancer (See Obit)
• Residence: 1887, Decatur Co., KS
• Residence: 1895, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL
• PURC: 9 Feb 1910, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL
• PURC: 26 Feb 1910, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL
• PURC: 27 Dec 1920, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL

Notes:

Obit: Oct. 4, 1928 Gospel Herald
Birkey. - Valentine Birkey, son of Joseph and Mary Birkey, was born near Morton, Ill., Feb. 2, 1858; died Sept. 18, 1928; aged 70 y. 7 m. 16 d. He was united in marriage to Phoebe Good about 47 years ago. Surviving him are his wife, 4 sons, 5 daughters, 2 sisters, 1 brother, 31 grandchildren, and a large number of old relatives and friends. His parents, 2 sisters, 2 brothers, and 2 grandchildren preceded him to the spirit world. For several years his health seemed to be failing and later cancer developed, which caused his death. He was confined to his bed from June 15 until death. At times, his suffering and pain was very great, but he was very patient through it all. His condition did not seem to alarm him, and he was fully given up to Him who does all things well. He united with the Mennonite Church in his youth and proved faithful until the end. Funeral services were conducted at the home by Bro. S. S. Zehr and at the church by the Bros. Jake Zehr and Ezra Yordy. Text, 1 Cor. 13:12. Interment was made in the cemetery nearby.


Read at the Centennial Celebration of the East Bend Mennonite Church in 1989, in Fisher, IL
“My name is Valentine Birkey. My father was Joseph of the “Big Black” Birkeys, and my mother was Mary of the “Little Red” Birkeys. They both came from Germany to Tazewell County where they met and married. I was born in 1858 near Morton, Illinois, but my parents later moved to near Hopedale. It was at Hopedale that Phoebe Good and I were married in 1882. Here our two daughters Mollie and Bertha were born.

“About this time many families were moving west. In northwest Kansas land could still be homesteaded. We kept hearing there had been lots of rain the last few years and things were looking good. Some of my relatives were moving there, so my parents decided they would move too. It sounded like a good chance to own land, and Mother insisted that all her married children move too.

“So in April 1887, Phoebe and I packed for the long train ride. After arriving we stayed with my parents until September when Joe was born. We had taken out a timber claim which meant we had to plant 500 trees, live on the land and then the 160 acres would become ours. So that summer the men cut sod and built our sod house on the claim. the walls were two feet thick, which kept it really warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It was the roof that gave US trouble--the sod and tree branches always seemed to let the rain through. And I really didn’t like having the rattlesnakes living in the walls. My family had all taken claims very close by. The stagecoach form Oberlin to Colby, Kansas crossed over part of our farm.

“We had a large church congregation in Decatur County. Our services were held in the Swedish Covenant sod church on Sunday afternoons until we finished building our own sod church. The cemetery was 1/2 mile north of the church and that’s where we buried by brother Dan.

“After we got settled in Kansas it forgot to rain. Year after year we had crop failures. the corn would look beautiful in the spring and then the hot, dry winds came and in just a few days the field of corn would be ruined. One year the wheat headed out, but since it was only six inches tall it was too short to cut with the binder. Our only choice was to turn the pigs into the field to do the harvesting. We seemed to get poorer every year. Joe, Alvin and Kate were born in our sod house. We had to divide our potatoes and it was hard to have to feed the children “thick and thin” for supper. What was that? It was thick sour milk to which Phoebe added some fresh sweet milk. We gathered buffalo chips to burn in our stove. Those were hard years on the prairie.

“Families started moving away. Some of my cousins moved by covered wagon to Beemer, Nebraska to help start the church there. some moved back to Hopedale. Two of my sisters moved to Shickley, Nebraska, and eventually my brother Joe moved to Oregon, my brother Jake to Montana. One summer my cousin Christian J. Birkey came to visit. He was married to Phoebe’s sister, so he was my brother-in-law as well. Then he saw how bad things were, he urged US to sell out and come back to Illinois. I told him if I sold everything I owned it wouldn’t be enough to pay our way back.

“On our way to church every Sunday we would stop at the home of the Lund family to collect our mail. One Sunday morning there was a letter from Chris. Phoebe couldn’t wait till after church to read it. Chris said he had bought a farm in Champaign County were a new church had been started. He offered to send US money for the train fare. Chris was like that--he helped many people. It was very difficult for Phoebe and I to get much out of the church service that day.

“Well, we soon made plans to move to Illinois and it was a glad day when we got there. It was almost dark, and as we got near the house I said, “Oh, look at all the sheep out there in the pasture.” Well, when I looked out the next morning, I got a surprise! I saw it was tree stumps instead, and that meant I had a lot of work to do. But we had 20 good years there. East Bend church was building its first building, so I got to help with that. There was no bridge across the Sangamon River north of the church so we had to ford the river. About ten years later, John Naffziger and Chris Good put together a petition and we got a new bridge built across the river.

“After returning to Illinois, Silas, Joel, Ada and Edna joined our family. I was finally able to buy the farm 1/2 mile north of the church. I built a house and barn which are both still standing in 1989.

“I didn’t have much education, but I had a degree in life’s experiences. Looking back on the good and bad times I think we need the bitter lessons to better appreciate the good ones.”

Residence:
Went to Kansas for a homestead claim.

Residence:
After difficult years in Kansas moved back to Illinois.

PURC:
From C.C. and Lena Gut for $4,785. W1/2 of NE1/4, and East 25 acres of NW 1/4 of SW1/4, and W1/2 of W1/2 of NW1/4 of SW1/4 of Section 17 Twp 22N R8E

PURC:
From John Cender. Five acres-W 1/2 of E 1/2 of W 1/ of NW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Section 17, Township 22N, Range 8E of 3rdPM

PURC:
From Cora A. and H. W. Baker for $8,100. SW1/4 of SW1/4 of Section 17 Twp22 N, R8E--”except a portion leased to the Ommish Mennonite Church Society.”

Died:
At his farm home.

Buried:
East Bend Mennonite Cemetery. Funeral by J. A. Heiser.

Valentine married Phoebe (Bena) Good on 15 Jan 1882 in Hopedale, Tazewell Co., IL. Phoebe (daughter of Josef (Joseph ) Guth (Good) and Katharina Stalter) was born on 5 Sep 1863 in Hopedale, Tazewell Co., IL; died on 16 Dec 1962 in Eureka, Woodford Co., IL; was buried on 18 Dec 1962 in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer’s wife and mother of ten (nine living).
• Reference Number: 15
• Religion: Amish Mennonite
• USR1: Old Age
• Residence: 15 Jan 1882, Hopedale, Tazewell Co., IL

Notes:

Obit: Gospel Herald
Birkey, Phoebe, daughter of Joseph and Kathryn Good, was born at Hopedale, Ill., Sept. 5, 1863; died at Eureka, Ill., Dec. 16, 1962; aged 99 y. 3 m. 11 d. On Jan.15, 1882, she was married to Valentine Birkey, who died in Sept., 1928. Surviving are all their 9 children (Mrs. Mollie Zehr, Mrs. Bertha Heiser, Joe, Alvin, Mrs. Katie Zehr, Silas, Joel, Mrs. Ada Foley, and Mrs. Edna Schertz), 3 sisters (Mrs. Sara Beller, aged 93; Mrs. Kate Horsch, aged 91; and Mrs. Mary Birkey, aged 88), 40 grandchildren, 120 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great-grandchildren. Preceding her in death were also 2 sisters, 2 brothers, 4 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. She was a member of the East Bend Church, where funeral services were held Dec. 19, in charge of Ivan Birkey and J. Alton Horst.

Obit: Fisher Reporter
Funeral services were held at East Bend Mennonite Church with Rev. Ivan Birkey and Rev. J. Alton Horst officiating. Phoebe died at Maple Lawn Home in Eureka where she had been a resident for eleven years.


Obit: Mennonite Weekly Review
10 Jan 1963 p. 8
Mrs. Phoebe Birkey

Mrs. Phoebe (Good) Birkey was born near Hopedale, Ill. on Sept. 5, 1863, the daughter of Joseph and Kathryn Good. On Jan. 15, 1882 she was married to Valentine Birkey. They lived near Hopedale for five years. In 1877 [sic; 1887?] they homesteaded on the prairie in Decatur County, Kan. There they built and lived in a sod house where three of their children were born. They lived in Kansas for eight years.

In 1895, with the help of a sister's husband, they moved to a farm near Fisher, Ill. In 1917 they built the house north of the East Bend Mennonite Church and lived there until Mr. Birkey died in September 1928. She then lived with her children until 1951 when she moved to the Maple Lawn Homes in Eureka, Ill., spending the rest of her days there. Here she made many friends. She moved on to her eternal home on Dec. 16, 1962.

Surviving are her nine children, Mrs. Mollie Zehr, Mrs. Bertha Heiser, Joe Birkey, and Alvin Birkey, all of Fisher, Mrs. Katie Zehr of Ludlow, Ill., Silas Birkey of Flanagan, Ill., Joel Birkey of Ludlow, Mrs. Ada Foley of Norwalk, Calif., and Mrs. Edna Schertz of Saybrook, Ill.; three sisters, Mrs. Sarah Beller, 93, of Maple Lawn Homes, Mrs. Kate Horsch, 91, of Washburn, Ill., and Mrs. Mary Birkey, 88, of Sunset Rest Home, Geneva, Neb.; 40 grandchildren, 120 great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren. Her husband, two sisters, two brothers, four grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren preceded her in death.

In her youth she gave her heart to the Lord, remaining a member of the Mennonite church. She lived a long life, and her mind remained clear to the last. Her life was a quiet one marked by great concern for all members of her family. She will be missed by many.

The funeral service was held at the East Bend Mennonite Church near Fisher, Ill. on Dec. 19, 1962, with Rev. Ivan Birkey, a grandson, and Rev. J. Alton Horst officiating. Burial was made in the church cemetery. Six grandsons carried the casket.

Died:
Maple Lawn Home

Buried:
East Bend Mennonite Cemetery

Notes:

Valentine and Phoebe were married in the Hopedale Mennonite Church by Christian Nafziger. Joseph Good was a witness.
Valentine was 23, a farmer, and living in Hopedale, IL at the time of marriage. Phoebe was 18.

Notes:

Died:
Tobin Nursing Home

Buried:
Waldo Cemetery

Henry married Mary Stalter on 1 Mar 1896 in Gridley, McLean Co., IL. Mary (daughter of Joseph R. Stalter and Christina Eicher) was born on 16 Mar 1873 in Livingston Co., IL; died on 28 Sep 1921 in Livingston Co., MO; was buried in Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: S212436
• RWDN: S212436

Notes:

Obit: --From Gospel Herald - Volume XIV, Number 27 - October 6, 1921 - p. 527 
Stalter.-Mary, daughter of Joseph and Mary Stalter, was born in Livingston Co., Ill., Mar. 16, 1873; died at her late home 3 miles north of Meadows (one mile from the place of her birth) Sept. 28, 1921; aged 48 y. 6 m. 12 d. She was married to Henry Stalter on Mar. 1, 1896. She had been in failing health for over 2 years with lung and heart trouble the after effects of influenza. She leaves her deeply bereaved husband and 4 daughters (Amanda Birkey, Ella, Anna, and Ada), 2 granddaughters, her aged father, two brothers (John and Chris), three sisters (Lizzie Rediger and Barbara and Lena), one son (Edward). Mother and two brothers preceded her. She united with the A. M. Church in her youth and lived a consistent Christian life to the end. She was a kind and loving wife and mother, and expressed herself ready to go whenever the Lord calls her. She was loved and respected by all who knew her. Funeral services were held Oct. 1 by Bro. D. W. Slagel at the house and at the Church by Bro. J. D. Hartzler and Bro. Samuel Gerber. Text, Heb. 4:9. Interment in the Waldo Cemetery.-

Buried:
Waldo Cemetery