Thelmer A Cline

PEKIN ~ Thelmer Anderson Cline, 87, of 1266 Florence Ave. Apt. A, passed away Sunday, September 25, 2011 at Pekin Hospital Emergency Room

Born June 12, 1924 in Four Pole, Mingo County, West Virginia, P.O. Mohawk to Elias and Josie Vene (Cline) Cline.  He married Mary Edith Fox of Rathmel, Pennsylvania on October 30, 1948 in Alexandria, Virginia.

Surviving are one son, Thelmer Anderson (Karen) Cline, Jr.; two daughters, Nancy Luellen (Edward) Garant of Creve Coeur and Gayle Lee (Jerry) Godbey of South Pekin; seven grandchildren, Tracy Renee Smith of Creve Coeur, David Wayne (Melissa) Garant of East Peoria, Nicole Allison (Jason) Harper of Kahoka, Missouri, Kerry Adam Cline of Peoria, Ashley Gayle Hays and T.J. (Nicole) Hays, both of South Pekin, and Emily Faith Hays of South Pekin; nine great-grandchildren Kaeleb Wayne Hutchison of East Peoria, Tara Renee Hutchison of Creve Coeur, Corbyn Harold Harper, Clifford Carter Harper, both of Kahoka, Missouri, Riley Jean Schacherbauer of South Pekin, Hailey Jewell Hays of South Pekin, Austin Edward Garant of Galesburg, Alexis Marie Garant of East Peoria and Kolby Lynn Hutchison; one great great grandchild, Kolby Lynn of East Peoria; one brother, Burnnis Vernon (Ina Kaldi) Cline of Pekin; and one half brother, Lonnie Leo (June) Hunt of Spring Lake.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Willis Willard Cline, Robert Rexford Cline; one half-brother, Raymond Earsel Hunt; four sisters, Miley (Paris) Adams, Gladys (Winfred) Perdew, Gracie (Jess) Birchfield and Ruby Meixsell-Ashbey.

He enlisted November 7, 1942 in the Coast Artillery branch of the United States Army in Chicago.  Thelmer traveled to Fort Bliss, Texas where the 453rd Coast Artillery Bn. was being reorganized into the Anti-Aircraft Automatic Weapons Battalion.  He shipped out February 11, 1944 and landed on Utah Beach in the Normandy Campaigns and joined the 83rd Infantry Division July 7, 1944 at Carenton, France.  He served in five major battle campaigns including Normandy, Brittany, Central Europe, Rhineland and Ardennes, ending at the Elbe River.

PFC. Cline was honorably discharged at Camp Roosevelt, France on November 15, 1945 and re-enlisted the next day.  After an extended furlough in December to the United States, he returned to Germany on March 23, until he returned to the States in March 1948.  He was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia where he was honorably discharged November 15, 1948 as a PFC, Regular Army.

He came to Pekin with his new bride the week of Thanksgiving November 1948 and started working at the Corn Products Plant until February 1951 when he started working at the Caterpillar Tractor Plant in East Peoria, retiring in 1983 as Line Inspector in building SS.

Thelmer and Mary have lived in Pekin for over sixty years.  They have enjoyed a lot of traveling, camping and attending family reunions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

His funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin.  Rev. Gary Ford will officiate.   Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin, where military rites will be provided by the United States Army and the Tazewell Area Ceremonial Team.

Following the services at the cemetery, the family will host a luncheon at the Williamsburg Townhouse Rental Office at 1025 Florence Ave. Pekin, IL 61554.

Memorial contributions may be given to the American Heart Association, Midwest Affiliate, Memorial & Tributes Lockbox 3816 Paysphere Circle Chicago, IL 60674 or the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois 215 West Illinois, Suite 1C Chicago, IL 60654.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com