Bill Strickland

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Bill Strickland, age 73, of rural Tamaroa, passed away on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 12:09 a.m. in Pinckneyville Community Hospital.

Bill was born on May 22, 1934, in Pinckneyville, a son to William and Marie (Rheinecker) Strickland. He was a veteran of the United States Army Reserves. On May 14, 1953, he married Jane Reiter in Joliet and she survives. He was retired from Fermi National Laboratory, Batavia. He enjoyed working in his woodworking shop making toys, cabinets, and other wood products.

Survivors include his wife, Jane Strickland of rural Tamaroa; two sons, Kirk (Jan) Strickland of Lockport, IL and William (Mary) Strickland of Fort Collins, Colo.; three daughters, Donna Mazza of Verona, Janet (John) Blazekovich of Batavia, and Barbara (Thomas) Fruits of Sellersburg, Ind.; fifteen grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two grandchildren, Christopher Blazekovich and Rachel Lavster.

Funeral services will be held in Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, on Monday, March 17, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. with Reverend Jim Barnett officiating. Interment will be in Mueller Hill Cemetery, Pinckneyville, with military graveside rites provided by Presswood-Daffron American Legion Post #2504, Pinckneyville.

Friends may call at Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, on Monday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to American Heart Association.

For more information or to sign an online guest register please visit www.pyattfuneralhome.com .