The Rev. Dr. Donald L. Batz entered the Kingdom of Heaven on November 28, 2023 in Lake Forest, Illinois. He touched the lives of thousands having served for 71 years as a pastor under appointment in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference and then following retirement in the Iowa and Indiana Conferences. He retired (again) in December 2021.
He was born on August 11, 1934 in Peoria, Illinois, the only child of Velma and Otto Batz. He attended Peoria Central High School and upon graduation in 1952, entered the United Methodist ministry at the age of 17, with his license to preach, as a pastor in DeWitt, Illinois and as a student at Illinois Wesleyan University from which he graduated in 1956.  
As a seminary student at Garrett Biblical Institute in Evanston and later at the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, he was appointed as an Associate Minister at the First United Methodist Church in Peoria, where he had attended as a youth.  Upon graduation from Christian Theological Seminary in 1961 with a Master of Divinity degree, he was appointed to Chatham, Illinois and later to Centenary Church in Jacksonville, Illinois.  While serving in Jacksonville, he returned to Christian Theological Seminary and received his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1971.
Other Illinois churches he served included Murphysboro, McNabb-Magnolia, Ransom, Peoria Bradley Epworth, Quincy Union, and Rock Island First from which he retired in 2004. Upon retirement, he served In the Iowa Conference in Camanche and DeWitt for nine years including three years as pastor of First Congregational Church of Clinton, Iowa.  In 2014, he was appointed as pastor of Colfax United Methodist Church in Colfax, Indiana where he served for 5 years.  He also served at Braceville United Methodist Church and Mazon United Methodist Church in Illinois for two years where he ‘officially’ retired from at age 87.
Two churches, Union, Quincy, in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference and St. Marks in Camanche, in the Iowa Conference, honored him as Pastor Emeritus. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Peter Cartwright award for outstanding service to the church in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. 
In conjunction with his ministry, he also taught courses for twenty-one years in Ethics, Philosophy and World Religions at three different community colleges at John Wood in Quincy, Illinois, Scott Community College in Bettendorf, Iowa, and Ivy Tech in Lafayette, Indiana.Though his greatest legacy is the infinite love he bestowed unfailingly to his treasured family including his beloved wife, Aleta Satterthwaite Batz, four children: Dr. Lisa McClure of Peoria, Illinois, Donnelle Pressburger of Normal, Illinois, Matthew Batz (Casey) of Campbell, California, and Dr. Cassondra Batz-Barbarich (Luke) of Libertyville, Illinois, three granddaughters: Jolie Kate Pressburger (21), Eden Nicole Pressburger (18), and Ella Rose Batz (6), and one grandson: Bennett LeRoy Barbarich (born November 27th). 

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A visitation will be held on January 6th, 2024 from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm followed by a memorial service at 3:00 at the First United Methodist Church in Peoria, Illinois. It will be officiated by Rev. Lori Kyle.

Daniel J. Bennington, 54, a resident of Round Lake Park, IL, passed away November 22, 2023 at his home.  He was born January 18, 1969 in Great Lakes, IL to Russell and Lynn Bennington. 

Daniel enjoyed music, playing the drums for many bands in his younger days, and Rock and Roll especially KISS. He was an animal lover, a die-hard Bears fan and a member of the Local #11 Roofers Union.  Daniel enjoyed hanging out with family, grilling by the bonfire, a cold beer, and being a grandfather.

Daniel is survived by his wife of 32 years, Debra Bennington, his children Kelsie (Michael) Tanael and Jacob Bennington, his grandchildren Charlotte and Isla Tanael, his many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, and his dogs Harley Quinn and Hazel.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his grandparents Valeria and James Beemsterboer.

A visitation and funeral service are scheduled for Sunday, November 26, 2023 at Strang Funeral Chapel & Crematorium 410 E. Belvidere Rd. Grayslake, IL 60030 from 10:00am until 2:00pm with the funeral service commencing at 2:00pm.  Interment will be held privately.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Orphans of the Storm.  For more information please log onto www.strangfuneral.org or contact (847)223-8122. 

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James Stacy Kaad, formerly of Wheaton, IL passed away Friday, November 17, 2023 at the age of 78. James spent his childhood in Wheaton and his teenage years in Michigan before returning to the Chicagoland suburbs after getting married to his wife Dawn (Hathaway) in 1968. At that time, he began a 35 year career with the Ford Motor Company. Although he spent many years working long shifts, he never let go of his other interests. He loved writing, especially science fiction and quirky, fun limericks.

He dealt with his dementia diagnosis for almost 17 years with patience, respect for all of his caretakers, and yet still threw out one-liners to surprise everyone and to make people laugh. Sometimes his own jokes would make himself smile. He lived his entire life with great regard for others and frankly the world, even when his memories would come and go. In addition to his quick, sometimes fierce wit, he was creative and incredibly intelligent. His heart was broken when losing his wife after almost 49 years of marriage and then his son Chris and grandson Ryan the following year. His surviving daughters, Amy (Kevin) Wagner and Stacy (Chris) Hoffmann, and grandchildren, Nick (Bre), Jack, Cate, Ella, Madeline and Emily have memories that will last a lifetime and bond them together like nothing else could.

James is preceded in death by his wife Dawn, son Chris Kaad, grandson Ryan Kaad, his parents George and Catherine Kaad, his brother John (Mary) Kaad, mother-in-law Micki Kampf, and his father and step mother-in-law Buell and Edith Hathaway.
May he finally be soaking in the sun while sitting at the Gulf of Mexico in Florida – his retirement dream. A private service will be held at a later date.

Olimpia Hidrogo, 83, a resident of Round Lake, IL passed away on November 16, 2023 at Condell Hospital in Libertyville, IL. She was born on March 7,1940 in Jaralillo, Nieves, Zacatecas to Jose Hidrogo and Rita Hernandez. She Married Francisco Cruz on March 4,1959 in Mexico.

Olimpia is survived by her husband of 64 years, Francisco Cruz; her children, Manuel J. Cruz  (Carmen Dominguez), Ilda Cruz (Manuel Lira), Monira Cruz, Francisco  (Juanis) Cruz, Nago (Maria ) Cruz, Adalberto (Martha) Cruz, Homero Cruz (Rosario Hidrogo); her grandchildren, Hilda, Adan, Daisy, Cesar, Clara, Lupe, Luis, Karen, Mayra, Giovanni, Kelly, Alex, Charlie, Diana, Sebastian, Oli, Emily, Camila, Jimena, Valeria, Diego;her 19 great grandchildren; her 1 great great grandson; and her siblings, Antero Hidrogo, Erasmo Hidrogo, Hortencia Hidrogo, and Lesbia Hidrogo.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Jose Hidrogo and Rita Hernandez; her grandson, Jaime: her son-in-law Cesar Chairez; and her siblings, Arcadio Hidrogo, Emma Hidrogo, Leonarda Hidrogo, Manuel Hidrogo, and Santos Hidrogo.

A visitation will be held at Strang Funeral Chapel, 410 E Road, Grayslake, IL 60030 on Friday, November 24, 2023 from 4pm until 8pm. A Funeral Mass at Saint Joseph Catholic Church 114 Lincoln Ave. Round Lake, IL. 60073 will be held on Saturday November 25,2023 at 9:30 burial will follow at Grant Cemetery 26730 West Molidor Road, Ingleside, IL. For more information, please call (847)223-8122 or visit www.StrangFuneral.org.

To view slideshow click here:https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/3CLXM5MRC9BFHCX4

Deborah Faye Shearer, 73, a resident of Round Lake Beach, IL passed away on November 14, 2023 at her home.  She was born on May 31, 1950 in Waukegan, IL to Ervin and Lenora Steil. Deborah was loved by all who knew her, she was a fun-loving person.  She loved her family, friends, and her time in her “Grandma’s Club”.  She made the best Christmas cookies.  She had a big heart for animals, especially cats. 

Deborah is survived by her son, Darrell of Pleasant Prairie, WI; her daughter-in-law and caregiver, Joy Shearer of Lake Villa; her grandchildren, Jakob Zeitler of Grayslake, Kailee (Dalton) Hamilton of Virginia, Ethan Shearer of Lake Villa, and Gina “Marie” Shearer of Lake Villa; her great grandson, Eastyn Hamilton; and her dear friends, Linda (George) Tieman and Karen Olson.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Gary; her son, Doug; and her parents. 

A graveside service will be held at Avon Centre Cemetery, 21300 W Shorewood Rd, Grayslake, IL 60030 on Monday, November 20, 2023 at 11am.  All funeral arrangements were entrusted to Strang Funeral Chapel, 410 E Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL 60030.  For more information, please call (847)223-8122 or visit www.StrangFuneral.org.

Maurice “Tom” Shepherd Jr., 82, a resident of Gurnee, IL, passed away November 10, 2023 at his home.  He was born October 7, 1941 in Waukegan, IL to Maurice Sr. and Virginia Shepherd.

Tom had worked for 24 years as a Corrections Officer with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and was a veteran of the US Army.  He was an avid bowler, golfer, and hunter.  Tom enjoyed old cars, Elvis, woodcrafts with his late wife and was a rabid fan of all Chicago sports teams.

Tom is survived by his daughters Shelley Shepherd and Kim (Brian) Scott, his grandchildren Chelsea (RaDarius) Pough, Arrick McGee, Masen Clark, McKenzie Scott, Delaney Scott, and Ryan Scott, his great-grandchildren DaNae Pough and Kayde Pough, his sister-in-law Peggy (Dennis) Kurek, brother-in-law Augie Baumgart, and his nieces and nephew Becky, Melissa, Jennifer, DeAnn, Bryan, Denise, Debbie, and Kenda; also, many great and great-great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Judy Shepherd, his sister Gail (Shepherd) Wilford and sister-in-law Barbara Baumgart.

Please wear a Chicago sports team shirt to the memorial visitation and service that is scheduled for Friday, November 17, 2023 at Strang Funeral Chapel & Crematorium 410 E. Belvidere Rd. Grayslake, IL 60030 from 6:00pm until 8:00pm.  The memorial service will commence at 8:00pm.  Interment will be held privately.  Memorials contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.  For more information, please log onto www.strangfuneral.org or contact (847)223-8122.

To view slideshow click here:https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/J2PZD4RWTG2CTNG4

Roland W. Van Empel, age 72, a resident of Grayslake, IL, passed away at home, peacefully in his sleep with his beloved wife and family by his bedside on November 6, 2023.  He is now together again with all of his loved ones who have gone before him. He was born on January 29, 1951 in the Netherlands to Joop and Eva Van Empel.

Roland worked at Carter Hoffmann for 40 years as a welder. He took pride in never being late to work, was always very punctual and dependable in anything he did.  After retirement, Zofia, his wife, and Roland moved to Saddlebrook.

Roland and Zofia were married for 37 years and were each others best friend. He was a loving and committed husband. They enjoyed traveling abroad, dancing, gardening, music and cherished spending time with family and friends. Roland loved his wife and family very much. By being married to Zofia, his faith and spirituality became stronger and his daily prayers became an important part of his life.

Roland had many hobbies and interests that he enjoyed which included, artistic metal work, playing the drums, which he learned at a young age. Later in life he taught himself how to play the harmonica- his passion was music. He also enjoyed home improvement tasks, upholstering furniture and complex sewing jobs. He was very handy and could fix anything and everything. Roland loved being outdoors, working in the yard and took pride in his work. He loved animals, especially Eddie and Fluffy, his favorite cats. Daily, he enjoyed feeding squirrels and birds in his backyard.  Roland was very creative and full of ideas, he was always busy doing something. 

Roland impacted many people with his generous and caring personality.  He was always helpful to everyone in need, especially his family, friends and neighbors, he kept his word and promises. He will be remembered as a hard to follow example of dedication, loyalty, selflessness, hard working husband, father and grandfather. 

There is one more gift that Roland had, a beautiful smile and a loud, unique laugh- one of a kind. He loved to talk and laugh with his family, friends, and neighbors, and he had a great sense of humor.  If you were in the vicinity of that laugh you couldn’t help but chuckle or laugh right along with him. Your day just got better. He will be in our hearts forever and we will miss him dearly. 

Roland is survived by his wife of 37 years, Zofia Van Empel, his children Jack (Sarah) Mider, Margaret (Patrick) Hollihan, his granddaughter Hannah (Sawyer) Schexnider, his brother Raymond Van Empel, and his nephews Ted Van Empel, Michael Binder, and Robert Binder.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Joop and Eva Van Empel, his brother Theodoor Van Empel, and his sister Wilma Tackett. A visitation is scheduled for Monday, November 13, 2023 at Strang Funeral Chapel & Crematorium 410 E. Belvidere Rd. Grayslake, IL 60030 from 8:00 am until 9:30am.  The funeral Mass will follow the visitation at St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, 22333 W. Erhart Rd. Mundelein, IL 60050 at 10:00am.  The interment will follow the mass at St. Mary Cemetery next to the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital. For more information contact (847)223-8122 or log onto www.strangfuneral.org

Emma Canlas, 80, a resident of Wauconda, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 3, 2023.  She was born on November 15, 1942 in the Philippines to Policarpio and Miguelita (nee Salazar) Cruz.

Emma is survived by her children, Aimee (Reno) Sioson, Alex (Marieleth) Canlas, Armand Roy Canlas, and Alvin (Jeanette) Canlas; her grandchildren, Noah Sioson, Isabel Sioson, Kyle Canlas, Kim Canlas, Nathan Canlas, and Keith Canlas; and her sister, Cynthis Cruz.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Armando Canlas; her brothers, Orlando and Jaime Cruz; and her parents.

A visitation will be held at Strang Funeral Chapel, 410 E Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL 60030 on Sunday, November 19, 2023 from 2pm until 6pm, with a funeral service commencing at 6pm. Interment will be held privately. For more information, please call (847)223-8122 or visit www.StrangFuneral.org.

Evelyn R. Jereb, 96, a resident of Round Lake Park, IL, passed away November 3, 2023, at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, IL.  She was born August 23, 1927 in Round Lake Park, IL to Roy and Alice Davis.

Evelyn was an avid bowler having bowled on St. Joseph Ladies League for 44 years and a member of the Lake County Women’s Bowling Association for many years.  She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and a member of their Altar and Rosary Society. 

Evelyn is survived by her children Jean (Thomas) McCue and Jim (Kathy Powell) Dietz, her step-children Barbara Jereb and Betty (Jim) Babicz, her grandchildren Jeffrey (Joanne) McCue, Gerald (Cheryl) McCue, Patrick (Melissa) McCue, Donna (Steve) Bjorkquist, Gerald (Laura) Dietz, and Christopher (Kim) Dietz, and her grandchildren Jacob, Meghan, Ryan, Samantha, Kayla, Michael, Jessica, Julia, Joseph, Madyson, Jenna, Zachary, Alex, and Molly, her brother-in-law Thomas Helms, and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert Dietz, her second husband Valentine Jereb, her sisters Marietta (Fred) Eggert and Carolyn Helms, her daughter-in-law Kathy Dietz, and her step-daughter Cathy.

A visitation is scheduled for Sunday, November 5, 2023 at Strang Funeral Chapel & Crematorium 410 E. Belvidere Rd. Grayslake, IL 60030 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm.  A funeral service is scheduled for Monday, November 6, 2023 at 11:00am at the funeral chapel.  Interment will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Round Lake, IL.  For more information please contact (847)223-8122 or log onto www.strangfuneral.org .

Brandon Lee Barry, age 22, a resident of Round Lake Beach, IL, passed away on October 25, 2023. He was born on July 25, 2001 in Chicago to Luis Pineda and Lora Barry.

Brandon went to Round Lake High School and Round Lake Middle School. Brandon loved playing soccer, loved playing on his Xbox, he also built forts in the forest when he lived in Gurnee, and loved to swim with his friends and family he was so adventurous. He was also so shy, when it came to homecoming it took him 20mins to get out the truck and he definitely didn’t want to get dropped off in front of the school door. He loved riding his bike, he was so independent and did everything on his own. Everyone one loved him. He was the sparkle in his parents’ eyes. He loved his father even after his dad passed.

Brandon is survived by his mother, Lora Barry; his siblings, Kenneth (Kyla) Strey of Gurnee, Doris (Rey) Barry of Indiana, and Chris Pineda; his grandmother, Lucia Pineda; his aunt, Alice Barry; his nephew, Rey; and his niece, Malaya.  He was preceded in death by his father, Luis Pineda.

A visitation and funeral service will be held at Strang Funeral Chapel, 410 E Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL 60030 on Saturday, November 4, 2023 from 3pm until 7pm, with a funeral service commencing at 7pm. Interment will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-arrangements-and-other-needs?member=30300195&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=sms&utm_source=customer

For more information, please call (847)223-8122 or visit www.StrangFuneral.org. 

Brett Ross Cromeans, age 43, passed away on October 17,2023 with his family at his side at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Il after fighting a life-long battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Brett born on September 20, 1980 in Waukegan to Tom and Sharon Cromeans.

Brett was born with Cystic Fibrosis and in February of 2020 he received a double lung transplant and because of Brett’s donor his family was able to get three and a half more years with him. This allowed Brett and Kelli to take one last vacation to celebrate her 40^th birthday.  This was the first time Kelli had ever been to an ocean which is a very special memory for her.

Brett was a graduate of Antioch High School class of 1998, then went to Westwood College and graduated with a Bachelors in design and visual communication in 2012. He met the love of his life Kelli in 2004, and they married in 2009, and then remarried in 2018. 

From an early age Brett enjoyed working on cars, motorcycles, and snowmobiles. If there was something he did not know how to fix he worked at it until he figured it out, he never gave up.

Brett enjoyed snowmobiling and riding with family at an early age and riding every winter as an adult in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan and Wisconsin with Kelli and close friends. He and Kelli also enjoyed riding their Harley around the area, but truly loved riding through the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, every year since 2019.

Brett was a former DJ in the Lake County/Chicago Area from 2003-2013. He was very musically inclined he took guitar lessons and enjoyed going to see live bands in the area.  He also had a love for art; calligraphy; web design and more.

As a young child and young adult, he enjoyed playing many sports. For several years, he rode BMX but one of his passions was his love for golf.   Brett and his family played every weekend and his most memorable memories is when he played golf with his beloved papa. Brett was on the Antioch High School Golf Team and the last couple of years he played in the Illinois Open. He worked at Lake Bluff Golf Club, Bull Valley Golf Club and Arboretum Golf Club as a teaching professional.

Brett was a smart, hardworking, helpful, positive, witty, sarcastic, funny, spontaneous, fun-loving, and strong.

Brett was employed at CDW in Linconshire, Il for the past 10 years. He truly enjoyed what he did and made many close friends during his tenure.  He began as a customer relations specialist then received many promotions most recently being Business Development Specialist for Fortinet.  In August, Brett was interviewed from his hospital bed and this fall was accepted into CDW’S Emerging Leaders Program.

Brett also adored his and Kelli’s fur baby, Axl Rose.  Axl was always at his side during all his health issues and they had a very special bond.

Brett is survived by his wife of 5 years, Kelli Cromeans; his parents, Tom and Sharon Cromeans; his brother, Brad Cromeans; his grandmother, Joean Handyside; and his beloved fur baby, Axl. He is preceded in death by Duane “Papa” Handyside Sr., William (Bill) Cromeans, Sr., and Quinell Cromeans.

A Celebration of life will take place for family and friends at a later date.

For more information log onto www.strangfuneral.org or contact (847)223-8122.

Fergal Patrick Joseph Gallagher “Pat”, passed away on October 26, 2023. Born April 1, 1936 in Grafton, North Dakota to Farigal Gallagher and Marguerite Gagnon. Marguerite’s family has been in North America since the 1640s.  The family visited the home town St. Prosper, Quebec which is near Montreal in 1967 and saw the world’s Fair.  The Gallagher’s have farmed in North Dakota since the 1890’s.  Pat and Darlene were married in Manchester, Iowa on January 25, 1958.  They met at an U.S.O. Dance in Washington, D.C. Three children made it a great Marriage: Fergal Jr. and Kevin were born at the Naval Hospital, Guam Mariana Islands. Bridget was born at Lake Forest Hospital.  Pat graduated from St, Thomas High School in North Dakota., attended North Dakota Agricultural College, Graduated from the Laboratory Tech School at the National Naval Medical School. He also graduated from the Industrial Manage Institute at Lake Forest College. He retired from the U.S. Navy after 26 years (10 years active and 16 in reserves) as a Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman. While on active duty he managed the blood banks at Naval Hospital Guam and Naval Hospital Great Lakes.  He served in Vietnam with the Seabees where he managed the medical department and did the laboratory work. He retired from a 30 year career as an executive in the building service industry.  He had a very successful retirement having served with the Gurnee Breakfast Exchange and the Round Lake Exchange Clubs. He was club president, District and Lincolnland Treasurer for 5 years He was the president of the Lake County Council of the Navy League. He served on the board of the Great Lakes Naval Museum. He was the president of the Gurnee Board of Trade, an investment club. He was a founding member and president of the Lake County Exchange Club’s Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Pat loved his volunteer work, fishing, gardening and his family.

He is survived by his Children Fergal Jr. (Michelle), Oakland Park, FL, Kevin (Wagner), Wilton Manors Fl and Bridget Mascillino (Mark), Oakland Park, FL and was preceded in death by wife Darlene (Burns), brothers Michael in San Diego, CA and Robert in Conyers, GA.

A visitation and funeral service will be held at Strang Funeral Chapel, 410 E Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL 60030 on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 from 1pm until 5pm, with a service commencing at 5pm. Interment will be held at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (https://www.vvmf.org/give-to-vvmf/) or American Syringomyelia & Chiari Alliance (https://asap.org/fundraise/donate/). For more information log onto www.strangfuneral.org or contact (847)223-8122.