Judson DeVerger
Hardin |
Judson Carl DeVerger, 90, died at 1:30 a.m., Sunday, November 19, 2017 at the Calhoun Nursing & Rehab Center in Hardin after a long battle with dementia. He was born at the family home place in Richwood Township, in rural Jersey County on Jan. 21, 1927, and was the youngest child born to Howard and Daisy Mae (Gray) DeVerger Sr. Judson began life on the family farm and continued grain and livestock farming throughout his entire life. He graduated from Hardin High School, and as a young man worked many side jobs as well, picking up and selling pecans, guiding fisherman and hunters alongside the river bottoms, and was instrumental in the rural electrification program, thus providing electric lines to the countryside. His Christian faith was dear to him, and he was a longtime and supportive member of the Hardin Presbyterian Church. He has served as an Elder and participated on committees too numerous to mention. Like his father, he was a member of the Calhoun Masonic Lodge #792, and was proud that his son was a member as well. In his younger years, Judson influenced many young men, serving as a Boy Scout leader. Judson was a man with many interests, but nothing surpassed his love and concern for his family. He passed on to them his love of traveling, with Colorado being his top spot. As a young man, he traveled to Colorado and fell in love with the mountains, and returned there almost every summer with his family, and eventually purchased a cabin near Buena Vista more than forty years ago. Throughout their lives, they and their families have enjoyed many occasions surrounded by the love of family and the Colorado high mountains. Although Judson didn't possess any prestigious degrees or accolades, he was certainly a man that was blessed, and possessed a great deal of intelligence. He had an uncanny knack for knowing just the right thing to do, at the very right time, in order to provide he and his family with a nice living. He was well versed on many subjects, and loved to converse with anyone. Luckily for the rest of us, he was able to add the trait of humility, kindness and generosity to his daily life. He was a good man, with solid substance, and has been, and will be missed continuously. He married the former Nellie Marie Cope on Jan. 5, 1948 at the Fieldon United Church of Christ, and together, the two have been blessed with nearly 70 years of marriage, shared the joys of raising their 3 children and the blessings that their 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren have brought to them. Surviving are his wife, Nellie DeVerger of Fieldon; a son and daughter in-law, Rick and Mary DeVeger of Fieldon; two daughters and a son in-law, Debbie DeVerger of Grafton and Lisa and Roger Snider of Fieldon; four grandchildren, Brian DeVerger and his wife, Marcia of Fieldon, Darin DeVerger, and his fiance' April Loy of Jerseyville, Brandyn Snider and Adrienne Snider both of Fieldon; a great grandson, Christian DeVerger of Columbia, Mo., and Kyah DeVerger of Jerseyville. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Claude DeVerger who was killed in action during World War II on Aug. 12, 1943 and Howard "June" DeVerger Jr. on Nov. 1, 2008; and his only sister, Eva Margaret Tucker, who died exactly three years to the date of Judson, on Nov. 19, 2014. Visitation for family and friend will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. The Calhoun Masonic Lodge #792 will conclude the evening visitation at with a Masonic Service at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue from 9 a.m. Saturday until time of funeral services at 10 a.m., at the Hardin Presbyterian Church in Hardin, Illinois. Rev. Paull Frazier will officiate. He will be laid to rest in the Fieldon Cemetery. For those desiring memorials donations in Judson's honor, may be given to the Hardin Presbyterian Church.
Crawford Funeral Home
