John Edwin Vercler 93, of Chenoa passed away at 2:57 am, Sunday, March 22, 2015 at Heartland Health Care Center, Decatur.

His funeral services will be 11 am, Thursday, March 26, 2015 at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Chenoa. Burial will immediately follow in Chenoa Cemetery, Chenoa.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 pm, Wednesday, March 25, 2015 and one hour prior to services on Thursday also at the funeral home in Chenoa. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be directed to Morton Home for the Handicapped.

John was born April 15, 1921 in Pike Twp. the son of Rudolph and Mildred (Chapman)Vercler. He married Josephine Kinsinger on March 26, 1944 in Chenoa. She preceded him in death on February 19, 2011. Also preceding him in death were his parents, two brothers Joseph, and Marvin, and one son, Roger Vercler.

Survivors include four children, Robert (Linda) Vercler of Cullom; Tim (Sonia) Vercler of Gridley; Betty (Rod) McArthur of St. Louis, MO; Jeff (Monica) Vercler of Fisher; eleven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and one brother Francis "Bud" (Helen) Vercler of Chenoa.

John was a combat veteran of WWII serving as a waist gunner on a B-24 Liberator Bomber. He was a member of the Eighth Air Force and participated in 30 missions over occupied Europe. Two memorable missions for John were Kassel, Germany, Sept 27, 1944 and Remagen Bridge at Remagen, Germany; January 1, 1945.

He was a lifelong resident of Chenoa where he farmed and fed cattle for 48 years retiring in 1995 at the age of 74. He was a township road commissioner, a charter member of the Chenoa VFW Post #8350, a lifetime member of the American Legion, 40 & 8, and the Order of the Eastern Star.