Jerome Sagez

1946 - 2019

KANE — Jerome Sagez, 73, passed away at 11:55 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019 at his home surrounded by his family following a valiant yearlong fight with cancer and its side effects.

He was born in Hardin, Illinois on Jan. 7, 1946, one of five children born to George and Theresa (Vetter) Sagez.

He attended both Grafton and Holy Ghost Catholic Grade Schools, and graduated in 1964 from Jersey Community High School in Jerseyville. He then began working at Laclede Steel Company in Alton where he dedicated 37 years of service prior to the plant closing. He then enjoyed working and assisting on the Phipps family farm in Kane, and traveled with them to many county fairs with their "Cornfield Cruisers" pulling team. He valued the friendships he made through the tractor pulls, especially the Jasper Family from Washington, Missouri. He also took great pleasure in fishing trips with the guys and family travels throughout the United States, particularly the western states.

He married the former Joyce Easley on May 21, 1966 in Jerseyville. Together, their 53 years of marriage were filled with many good times and memories, along with the joys of raising their two daughters, who then blessed him with the title "Grampy."

Surviving are his wife, Joyce Sagez of Kane; two daughters and a son-in-law, Stephanie and Rick Ash of Jerseyville and Penny Sagez of Jacksonville; two beloved grandchildren, Laura Elizabeth Ash of Jerseyville and Mark Joshua Sagez of Jacksonville; a brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Charlotte Sagez of Jerseyville; and three sisters and brothers-in-law, Marie and Bill Trask, Rose Wilkinson and Sandra and Ed Maher, all of Jerseyville; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Debbie and Terry Wedding of Grafton and Pat and Robin Barrows of Buckner, Missouri; along with many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, a special 'son', Russell Phipps and his family of Kane; along with many friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his father in-law and mother in-law, Fred and Yvonne Easley; a brother in-law, Terry Wilkinson; and two nephews, Ralph Trask and Todd Wedding.

Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Monday at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Jerseyville, with Father Martin Smith officiating.

In lieu of flowers and plants, it was Jerome's wish that memorials be directed to the Kid's Shouldn't Have Cancer Foundation to help further research for pediatric cancer.

Memories may be shared at crawfordfunerals.com.