James E. Sears

James E. "Jim" Sears, 76, of Willow Hill, died at 4:05 p.m. Monday, June 1, 2009, at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Willow Hill United Methodist Church, Willow Hill, with the Rev. Richard Houser officiating. Burial will be in the Mound Cemetery in rural Willow Hill, with the funeral procession led by members of the Jasper County. Antique Tractor Club. Visitation will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Blake-Buchanan Funeral Home, Newton and a half hour before the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the United Methodist Village Chapel Construction fund or Willow Hill United Methodist Church. Jim was born Oct. 2, 1932, in Oblong, the son of Ruth Robinson. He was raised by Dale and Catherine (Wall) Acklin. He married Mary Ann Postlewait on March 24, 1957, in Willow Hill. Jim was a lifelong farmer and worked at the Pottery in Robinson for 15 years and as supervisor at Wonder Bakery in Chicago. He was a member of Willow Hill United Methodist Church, Willow Hill Community Club and Jasper County Antique Tractor Club. He was an avid John Deere collector and was a Dekalb seed dealer for 35 years. Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann Sears, of Willow Hill; one son, Leon and wife Carolyn of Oblong; two daughters, Karen Sears of Effingham, Bridget and husband Tyler Stewart of Effingham; four grandchildren, Bethany Sears of Robinson, Becky and husband Jason Chronic of Robinson, Courtney Sears of Clarksville, Ky. and Adrian James Stewart of Effingham. He was preceded in death by his parents, son Mark Sears and his mother and father-in-law, Violet and Leon Postlewait.