Roland George Long

Roland George Long, 83, of Springfield, formerly of New Berlin, passed away at 1:45 p.m. on Monday, November 19, 2012 at the Illinois Veteran's Home in Quincy, after a 25 year battle with Parkinson's. He was born July 12, 1929 on the farm south of New Berlin, the son of Walter Carl and Emma Elizabeth Gerhardt Long. He married C. Patricia Fulton on June 7, 1953 at St. John's Lutheran Church in New Berlin. Roland was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Robert; a sister, Roberta; and an infant daughter, Dvonne Lynnette. He is survived by his wife of fifty-nine years, Pat; children, DeAnn (Jay) Hardin, Derek (Carla) Long and Denee (Scott) Scheidenhelm; grandchildren, Dylan and Drake Hardin, Charlye and Cydney Long, and Delaney and Duncan Scheidenhelm, all of New Berlin; brother, Raymond Long of Loami; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Roland graduated from New Berlin High School in 1947 and earned his Bachelor's Degree from Western Illinois University in 1951. He completed his Master's Degree in 1952. He served his country in the U.S. Army Signal Corp during the Korean War. After the service, he taught math at Tallula and Petersburg Harris High Schools. Roland spent several years in banking in Ashland and Pleasant Plains. He retired from the Illinois State Board of Education in 1991, after 25 years, as a math consultant. He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in New Berlin, where he served as Sunday school teacher and held numerous offices. He was a member of American Legion #743 and the Illinois Farm Bureau. He served as the first president of the board of directors for Concordia Village. In 2004, Roland was inducted into the New Berlin Academic Hall of Fame. Visitation: Family will receive friends from 4:00 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 23, 2012 at McCullough-Delaney and Butler Funeral Home, 714 E. Gibson St., New Berlin. Funeral Ceremony: 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 24, 2012 at St. John Lutheran Church, 300 E. Gibson St., New Berlin with Rev. Robert Barth officiating. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Tallula with military honors provided by the U.S. Army. Memorial contributions may be made to: St. John Lutheran Church, 300 E. Gibson St., New Berlin, IL 62670, Concordia Village Scholarship Fund, 4101 W. Iles Ave., Springfield, IL 62711, or charity of donor's choice. Our thanks, gratitude, and God's blessings to our many family, friends, and caregivers for the kindness, prayers, cards, letters, and concerns during this time.