Edward Eugene Van Bebber

1937 - 2016

MURRAYVILLE - Edward Van Bebber, 79, of rural Murrayville passed away Sunday, December 25, 2016, at St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

Edward Eugene Van Bebber was born in Jacksonville on May 13, 1937. His parents were the late Ivan Eugene and Goldia Mae (Buchanan) Van Bebber.

He was a 1955 graduate of Jacksonville High School and served in the U.S. Army Reserve.

On January 30, 1965, he married Carolyn Smith of Barry. They spent their entire married life on their farm east of Murrayville, where he resided at the time of his death.

Ed farmed in Morgan, Greene and Macoupin counties, retiring in 2015. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was nominated twice for the Outstanding Young Farmer in Morgan County Award. He also had worked at the former Anderson-Clayton plant in Jacksonville.

He was a member of the Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau and Illinois Corn Growers Association. He served two terms on the Morgan County Soil and Water Conservation Board, and he sold Lynks Seed Corn and Nutrena Feeds. For eight years Ed volunteered as an EMT with the Murrayville-Woodson EAS. He was very involved with their annual consignment auction from its inception until his health failed. Always known for his outstanding work ethic and his integrity, he was always the first to help someone in need.

Ed was a member of Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, where he had served as a deacon. He and Eugene Haggerty were the founders of the Parking Ministry at Lincoln Avenue. He was preceded in death by his parents; his parents-in-law, Estell and Nellie Smith; and his sister-in-law, Shirley Harrell Van Bebber.

Survivors include his wife, Carolyn; his children, Brent (Gretchen) Van Bebber of Murrayville, Bethany (James) Peterson of Fulton, Missouri, and Breck (Adrienne) Van Bebber of Jacksonville; six grandchildren, Harley, Noah and Carson Van Bebber, Remington (Cole) Hawkins, Brittany Knight and Sadie Van Bebber; his siblings, Richard (Alice) Van Bebber of Auburn, Wanda (Don) Grinkey of Jacksonville, Robert (Sharon) Van Bebber of Murrayville, Ruth (David) Meyers of St. Cloud, Florida, and Sharon (Ed) Ward of Ashland; and many nieces and nephews.

His passions were his Lord, his family and farming. He enjoyed Cardinal baseball, Crimson basketball and deer hunting with his brothers. He especially enjoyed attending his grandchildren's activities and was so proud of all of them.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, December 29, 2016, at Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville with interment at Murrayville City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Daws Family Funeral Home in South Jacksonville. Memorials are suggested to the Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church Building Fund or Murrayville-Woodson EAS. Condolences may be left online at www.dawsfuneralhome.com.