Mervin Sawyer

Mervin "Ed" Sawyer

Age 64 of Wilmington, passed away Wednesday September 24, 2008 at the Joliet Area Community Hospice Home.

Born June 26, 1944 in St. Louis, MO, Ed was a son of the late Milo I. and Marie Patterson-Sawyer. He was raised and educated in the Mattoon area and on October 10, 1964 married Lorraine Elliott and moved to the Wilmington area. Ed retired as a welder from Caterpillar Tractor Company in 1999 after 34 years of service. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington and in his free time greatly enjoyed playing the guitar, airplanes and flying, tennis and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Survivors include his loving wife Lorraine; three children: Stacey (Tom) Olson of Wilmington, Shelby (Mike) Swann of Frankfort and Josh (Theresa) Sawyer of Joliet; Eight grandchildren: Ethan, Connor and Spencer Olson, Allie Lankford, Kendall and Sydney Swann and Hunter and Hayden Sawyer; his godson Matthew (Kim) Darling of Mattoon; mother-in-law Katherine Elliott of Auburn, IL; three brothers: Tom (Brenda) of Charleston, IL, Max of Mattoon and Richard (Deborah) of Coal City; two sisters: Marilyn (Ron) Warfel and Karen (Ron) Malloch, both of Neoga, IL and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Lou Ann (Carl) Troyer of Eureka, Janice Whitaker of Florida, Loretta (Bill) Franke of Chatham, IL, Wendy (Patrick) Osburn of Auburn, IL and Carl (Jan) Elliott of Girard, IL, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and his very dear friends: Gary (Marianna) Brooks of Wilmington.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, granddaughter Bailey, two brothers: Marion and Ronald Sawyer; two sisters: Margaret Bernard and Cheryle Sawyer; his grandparents and his father-in-law John Elliott.

The family will receive friends on Sunday September 28, 2008 from 3:00PM until time of 7:00PM prayer service officiated by Rev. Mark Moon at Reeves Funeral Home, 219 North Joliet Street in Wilmington (815/476-7621) and on Monday September 29th from 12 Noon until time of funeral service 2:00PM at Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home, 1200 Wabash Avenue in Mattoon (217/234-8826)

Burial will be in Zion Hill Cemetery in Mattoon.

Pallbearers will be: Harold Sawyer, Richard Sawyer, John Sawyer, Bret Sawyer, Aaron Sawyer, Todd Sawyer, Matthew Darling and Gerry Hawes.

Friends may sign the online guest book by logging onto: www.ReevesFuneral.com

Local Funeral services and arrangements have been made under the direction of Reeves Funeral Home in Wilmington. For additional information please phone: 815/476-7621