Lyle Ernst

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Lyle Dean "Dink" Ernst, 79, of Du Quoin, passed away at 10:39 a.m., Saturday, August 23, 2008 at the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.

Dink retired in 1987 after forty three years of service as an engineer for the ICG Rail Road. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Du Quoin where he was a deacon, trustee and served on the finance committee and volunteered for many jobs at the church. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the Railroad Historical Society. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church Board of Trustees. Lyle had been a tram driver at the Du Quoin State Fair.

He was born June 9, 1929 at St. Johns, the son of Frank and Nellie (Jones) Ernst.

Lyle married Betty L. Hamilton on June 17, 1950 at the Baptist Church Parsonage in Pinckneyville and she survives.

He is survived by his wife of Du Quoin, three children- Johanna Tolbert and husband Denver of Mulkeytown, Lyla Fenton and husband Mitch of Wayne City and Alan Ernst of St. Louis, Mo., two grandchildren- Jeremy Fenton of Carrollton, Texas, and Anson Fenton and wife Amanda of Wayne City, five great grandchildren- Cheyanne, Brooklynn, Bryce, Gracie and Lily, brother- Oscar Ernst and wife Irene of Canton.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers- Frank Ernst Jr. and Eugene Ernst.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, August 26, at the Searby Funeral Home in Du Quoin with Rev. Joe Wagner officiating.

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Searby Funeral Home in Du Quoin.

Burial will be in the Sunset Memorial Park at Du Quoin.

Friends may make memorials to the First Baptist Church of Du Quoin, American Heart Association, Hospice of Southern Illinois or to the donors choice and will be accepted at the funeral home.

For additional information or to sign the memorial guest register, please visit www.searbyfuneralhomes.com.