Individual Details

Death

MATTOON - Ralph Eugene Owens, 82, of Shelbyville, died at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday (June 12, 2012) at Gowin Parc in Mattoon. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday (June 16, 2012) at Howe and Yockey Funeral Home in Shelbyville with the Rev. Lee Lovett officiating. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday. Burial will be at Glenwood Cemetery in Shelbyville with military rites by the Shelby County Honor Guard. He was born Dec. 30, 1929, in Westervelt, the son of Charlie and Leona Rodman Owens. He married Marita May Furr on Nov. 8, 1953; she survives. Other survivors include three sons, Larry Owens of Bethany, Raymond Owens of Cave City, Ariz., and Lynn E. Owens of Lakewood; two brothers, Merlon Owens of Pana and Freemon Owens of Rockford; seven grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and one granddaughter. He was a U. S. Army veteran of theKorean War, where he served as a radioman. Ralph began working for the Oliver Corp. in Shelbyville. He later worked for Trailmobile in Charleston and then retired from International Paper in Shelbyville. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Roy Vanderpool American Legion Post 81, Moose Lodge 1294, life member of VFW Post 4829, all of Shelbyville and AMVETS. Memorials may be made to Shelbyville Boys Baseball or American Cancer Society in memory of Jennifer Owens-Frye.
Published in Journal Gazette & Times-Courier on June 14, 2012