Dale Tarr

Dale Eugene Tarr, 69, of Dieterich passed away Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 at St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital, Effingham. Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Friday in Wheeler Cemetery, Wheeler. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Crain Funeral Home, Newton, with 7 p.m. Masonic rites. Memorials may be made to the Shriners Children's Hospital, St. Louis. Dale was born Jan. 15, 1940, in Jasper County, the son of Ray and Okal Bixler Tarr. He entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 1960 and served until Sept. 1962, when he was granted an honorable hardship discharge to return home to care for his invalid mother and three younger brothers, David, Wayne and Cecil. Dale married Barbara Ann Martin June 1, 1963, in Willow Hill. He was a retired truck driver, having last worked for CTS Sherwin Williams, Effingham. He was a member of Winterrowd Masonic Lodge 664, 32nd Scottish Rite, Valley of Southern Illinois, and the Ainad Temple of East St. Louis. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, of Dieterich; daughter, Salina Renee Hemrich of Wheeler; grandchildren, Brock Michael Hemrick of Newton and Leah Renee Hemrich of West Baden, Ind.; great-granddaughter, Adalyn Renee Hemrich and her mother, Bethanee Clark of Effingham; brothers, Gerald (wife, Barbara) Tarr of Lovington, Raymond Wayne (wife Loretta) Tarr of Wheeler; sisters, Mary Belle Smallwood of Westfield, Donna Lee (husband, Charles) Wiggle of Lake City and Edith (husband, Roscoe) Elmore of Wheeler; brother-in-law, Larry Elmore of Newton; sisters-in-law, Deborah Tarr of Wheeler, Rita Tarr of Olney and Mary Tarr of Martinsville. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, David, Doyle, Cecil and wife, Pam, Larry and Everett Tarr; sisters, Eleanore Rose Tarr and Carol Jean Elmore; and brother-in-law, Don Smallwood.