Lawrence Ontis
Nutwood |
NUTWOOD – Lawrence Junior Ontis, 88, died peacefully at 10:13 a.m., Thursday, January 1, 2015 at Jersey Community Hospital in Jerseyville after a brief period of declining health.
He was born in Nutwood on July 24, 1926, and was the son of the late Larry and Clara (Webster) Ontis.
Junior grew up and resided in Nutwood his entire life, attending Lone Star School near Nutwood before joining the United States Navy. He then began, what would become a 33 year career with Olin Corporation where he retired in 1984 as a Slidder Adjuster.
He was a volunteer fireman for the Cottage Hills Fire Department and later served as Fire Chief for Rosedale Township and active in the former Jerseyville VFW.
He was most content, however, being outdoors and enjoying nature. He enjoyed hunting, trapping, tending to his vegetable garden and most of all, fishing, becoming a commercial fisherman after his retirement.
He married the former Dorothy Mae Fielding on September 22, 1948 in Jerseyville, and together they shared nearly 48 years of marriage before her death on April 24, 1996 along with the joys that came with raising their family.
Surviving are four children and their spouses, Peggy Ontis of Alton; Rodney and Sandy Ontis of East Alton; Ray and Nancy Ontis of Nutwood and Karen Ontis of Jerseyville; 13 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; numerous great-great grandchildren; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Helen Ligus of Nutwood and Charlotte and Larry Suttles of Fieldon; a brother and sister-in-law, Perry and Verna Ontis of Fieldon; two step-sisters and a step-brother-in-law, Phyllis and Bob Cunningham and Wanda Gunlock all of Jerseyville;and a step-brother and sister-in-law, Howard and Ava Crull of Fieldon.
In addition to his parents and his wife, he was preceded in death by his step-mother, Isabelle Ontis; a grandson, George Leroy Price; three sisters, Opel White, Ollie Mae Delp and Velma Martin; a brother, Jimmy Ontis; a step-sister, Peggy Hazelwonder; and a step-brother Jim Crull.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, January 6 where funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m., Wednesday, January 7 at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville.
Burial will be in the Fieldon Cemetery in Fieldon.
In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials may be given to the Family, in care of Crawford Funeral Home.
Crawford Funeral Home
