The Commercial-News, Danville, IL

Obituaries

Related Photos

Guest Book

Please sign our Guest Book.
November 2, 2009

Floyd Daniel Birkey

Floyd Daniel Birkey, 90, of Paxton, passed away at 5:55 p.m. Sunday Nov. 1, 2009, at Heartland Health Care Center in Paxton.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, at the East Bend Mennonite Church in Fisher with Rev. Michael Dean and Rev. Terry Westerfield officiating. Burial will follow in Willow Brook Cemetery, Fisher, with military graveside rites.

Visitation will be at Baier Family Funeral Services, 406 E. Pells St. in Paxton from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009.

Floyd was born on Nov. 20, 1918, in Foosland, Ill., the son of Alvin and Amelia Zehr Birkey. He married Jean Allen on Feb. 27, 1941, in Chicago. She survives.

Also surviving are his daughters, Shirley (Roger) Greenup of Brentwood, Tenn., and Donna Alsteen of Thomasboro, Ill.; his sons, Ron (RaNae) Birkey of Danville and Brian Birkey of Paxton; three granddaughters, Holly Ashford of Thomasboro, Carrie (Baron) Verge of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Kathryn (Jeff) McCoy of Hillsdale, Ind.; four great-grandchildren, Brandon, Arianna, Jakin and Isabella; his brother, Carroll “Kelly” (Minerva) Birkey of Paxton; and two sisters, Viola Stacy of Fisher and Margret Oyer of Meadows, Ill. He was preceded in death by his parents and five brothers.

Floyd attended the Dixon one-room school house in rural Foos-land, Ill. After eight years of grade school, he had to go to work on the farm due to the Great Depression. He later received his high school GED after retirement. He was stationed in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II and was a T/Sgt in the 950th Ordinance. After the war, he returned home to manage Springer Implement in Fisher. Floyd co-founded and was the past president of Birkey’s Farm Store, which started in 1954. He retired in 1978, then moved and lived in Horseshoe Bend, Alaska, for 22 years.

Floyd was baptized at the East Bend Mennonite Church and was a current member of the First Methodist Church in Paxton. He loved baseball and was an avid White Sox fan. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the AMVETS, and the Lions Club. He was mayor of Fisher from 1952 to 1954. But most of all, he loved being with his family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in his name to the Alzheimer’s Association, The Heartland Health Care Center in Paxton and the East Bend Mennonite Church.

Text Only
Obituaries
  • obitWillaman, John Photo.jpg John L. Willaman

    John L. Willaman, 74, of Rossville, Ind., died Feb. 11, 2012, at St. Vincent Hospice, Indianapolis.

    February 12, 2012 1 Photo

  • obitBarnes.jpg Francis M. ‘Buddy’ Barnes

    Francis M. Barnes, 68, of Danville, passed away at 10:50 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at his home.

    February 12, 2012 1 Photo

  • Haun, John.jpg John Louis Haun

    John Louis Haun, 79, of Danville, passed away at 1:55 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, at Vermilion Manor Nursing Home, Tilton.

    February 12, 2012 1 Photo

  • Domonowsky, Eleanor.jpg Eleanor “Ellie” L. Domonousky

    Eleanor “Ellie” L. Domonousky, 88, of San Bernardino, passed away Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, at her home, where she had lived for the last 60 years.

    February 12, 2012 1 Photo

  • Fegett,Barbara2.jpg Barbara Jean Fegett

    Barbara Jean Fegett, 80, of Westville, died at 10:15 a.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, at Provena United Samaritans Medical Center.

    February 12, 2012 1 Photo

  • Aquino, James.jpg James Aquino

    James Aquino, 54, of Danville, passed away at 3:08 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, at his home.

    February 11, 2012 1 Photo

  • Betty A. Rice

    Betty A. Rice, 85, of Danville, passed away at 5:32 a.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, at Danville Care Center.

    February 11, 2012

  • Florence Evelyn MacKay

    Florence Evelyn MacKay, 87, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., passed away Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, at her home.

    February 11, 2012

  • Frisco Anderson

    Frisco Anderson, 21, of Danville, passed away at 1:35 a.m. Sunday, February 5, 2012, at Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Danville.

    February 10, 2012

  • Downing Dorothy.jpg Dorothy “Alice” Downing

    Dorothy “Alice” Downing, 64, of Danville passed away at 9:05 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, at Danville Care surrounded by her family.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

E-edition
AP Video
Bacteria Keep Swimmers Off Some Fla. Beaches Police: Houston Found Under Water, Unconscious Sandusky Can See Grandkids, Have Local Jury Obama Unveils $3.8 Trillion Budget Raw Video: Israeli Embassy Car Attacked Coroner: Don't Know Houston's Cause of Death Yet Valentine Greetings Sent Worldwide From Loveland Greek Austerity Measures Spark Riots Raw Video: Obama Budget Goes to Capitol Hill Arab League Wants U.N. Help in Syria Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight 'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48 Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party 79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
NDN Video
Gregoire: Marriage Equality Is Right for Wash. Police: Houston Found Under Water, Unconscious Facebook Parenting: Father Posts Video Responding to Daughter's Post 'Bachelor' Free Falls into the Ocean Adele's revealing "60 Minutes" interview Bobby Brown on Houston's Death Kissing contest heats up Rosenthal: A's sign Cespedes Sandusky Can See Grandkids, Have Local Jury Apple of their eye at $500 a share Turkey's first face transplant Exclusive Video: Bobbi Kristina Leaving Hospital Obama Unveils $3.8 Trillion Budget Kelly Ripa's Fashion Faux Pas Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote Lusetich: AT&T Recap Raw Video: Aurora Borealis As Seen From Space Grammys 2012: Highlights 2.12: Pebble Beach Pro-Am -- Phil Mickelson 2012 Grammys: Rihanna