John Ernest Simmons
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John E. Simmons age 64 of Mulberry Grove, IL passed away at 1 p.m. Wednesday April 28, 2010 at DesPeres Hospital in St. Louis.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 3, 2010 at the Donnell-Wiegand Funeral Home with Rev. Melissa Goodloe officiating. Interment will follow in Mt.Auburn Cemetery with Full Military Honors by American Legion Post 1180 of Mulberry Grove, Il. The family will receive friends from 5 until 8 p.m. Sunday evening and from 10 a.m. Monday until service time. For those who desire memorials may be made to the Mt. Gilead Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
John Ernest Simmons, the son of Levi Newton Simmons and Florence Elizabeth Long Simmons, was born on July 30, 1945 in Hillsboro. The family lived in Butler until 1949 when they moved to north of Mulberry Grove where John grew up and attended the Mulberry Grove Schools. John worked for Wayne Roe for a time. The family moved to Reno in 1961 where John worked for Hubert Gruner for several years. He answered his countries call by joining the Navy. John returned to farming for Hubert Gruner and graduated form Kaskaskia College with an associates degree in 1971 and from Greenville College with his BA degree in 1975. He worked for Coffeen Mine for several years then for Monterey Coal Mine at Albers until he was disabled with neck injuries in 1989 that finally took his life in 2010. John enjoyed pre 1960 Ford trucks and lately has been interested in old tractors.
John and Pamela Rohn were united in marriage in 1979 and were later divorced. They are the parents of their 4 children who survive: Joel Simmons of Greenville, Lee Simmons of Mt. Vernon, Jill Hartman of Highland, Kayla, Mrs. Afif Najjar of Rolla, MO, and one granddaughter Alexis Hartman of Highland. John and Della McIntosh Garmon were united in marriage on June 25, 1999 in Mulberry Grove by Randy Whited and they have enjoyed just 11 years together. She survives as does her son David (Jackie) Garmon of Highland and three grandchildren: Danielle Zobrist, Gauge Garmon, and Whitney Garmon.
John is preceded in death by his parents, and is the last of his generation being preceded in death by sister Edna McFarlane, and two brothers James Lee Simmons at birth and Paul Alvin Simmons age 6.
John is a member of the United Mine Workers of America Coal Miner's Union and his church, the Mt.Gilead Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Memorials to the Mt. Gilead Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Donnell-Wiegand Funeral Home