James L. Moon, Sr.

James L. Moon Sr. , age 99, passed away while under the care of Serenity Hospice on September 22, 2024 at Allure of Pinecrest, moving there in 2017 from Peoria, Illinois. Born on September 21, 1925 he was the son of Aaron and Bessie Mae (Watrous) Moon. After losing his mother to leukemia at the age of 3, his grandparents, Loman and Dessie Watrous helped raise him until his father married his stepmother, Margaret. After graduating high school, he proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy. Trained as an airborne radioman he was on planes patrolling the Pacific, that service ignited a lifelong love of radios. He held an amateur radio license and belonged to County Hunters. In addition, thru correspondence courses, he learned the art of radio and television repair, leading to a passion for collecting and restoring antique radios. His inquisitive mind led him to pursue beekeeping, winemaking, genealogy, and computers. His love of the outdoors led him to hunting and fishing. In his early seventies he took up bicycling and riding rail-to-trails around Peoria, which led him to build, install, and maintain bluebird boxes on the Rock Island Trail. He was a do-it-yourself handyman whose friends could always count on his helping hand and to give his all. He is preceded in death by his parents, stepmother, wife, June, grandson, Jamie Moon, and siblings Ruth Rehard, Donnie Moon, and Lonnie Moon. He is survived and missed by his children James (Susan) Moon of Monroe Center, Illinois and Roxanne Konopi of Carol Stream, Illinois; siblings Bea Jonas, Shirley Kremer, Sue Ann Rigano, and Mike Moon; grandchildren, Nicole Konopi, Natalie (Larry) Boswell, Molly (Gene) Engelkes, Amanda (David) Poulin; and great grandchildren, Connor, Dalton, Carson, Neveah, and Caeden. A memorial service with military honors will be held on October 19, 2024 at 11:00, at Kishwaukee Community Church in Stillman Valley with Dr. Rus Howard officiating. Visitation will be held from 10:00 until time of service. Burial will be held privately at a later date at Swan Lake Memorial Garden in Peoria, Illinois. Memorial donations in his name may be made to either Kishwaukee Community Church or the Serenity Hospice and Home of Oregon. 

The service will be live streamed at the Kishwaukee Church Facebook