Lawrence “Sandy” Koontz, 85, of Decatur, IL passed away on Tuesday (April 26, 2011) at Fair Havens Christian Home.
A service to celebrate Lawrence’s life will be 1:00 p.m. Monday (May 2, 2011) at Dawson & Wikoff West Wood Street Funeral Home. Visitation will be one hour prior to services on Monday. Burial will be in Harristown Cemetery. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.dawson-wikoff.com.
Mr. Koontz was born on August 22, 1925 in Warrensburg, IL, the son of Charles E. and Hazel (Whitten) Koontz. He was a retired thirty year military serviceman serving with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force during WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He was a member of the American Legion Post #180 in Azusa, CA, V.F.W. Post 4495 in Taylorville, IL and the Air Force Sergeants Association. He was an avid St. Louis Cardinal and NASCAR fan.
Surviving are his sons: Terry Joe (Sharon) Koontz of Pahrump, NV, George Allen Koontz of Pahrump, NV; daughter: Sandra Bogle of Decatur, IL; brothers: Paul Koontz of Walla Walla, WA, John Koontz of Highland Home, AL; sisters: Nina Pumphrey of Decatur, IL, Lou Redenius of San Dimas, CA; eight grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews also survive.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, four sisters and two ex-wives: Patricia (Marohl) Stearns and Betty (Lockwood) Kirgan.
The family would like to thank Fair Havens Christian Home for the care and compassion that Mr. Koontz received.
Les Condoléances dèrnières
| Macon County Honor Guard |
David M Freyling |
April 30, 2011 |
Thank you for allowing us to perform the Military Rites for your loved one.
We consider it an honor to do so.
| Sandy Beals |
father |
April 30, 2011 |
Sandy I'm so sorry for the passing of your father..Give me a call sometime so we can catch up..
Love You
Sandy
| Mara Estero, Statesville, NC |
My Condolences for the Family |
April 30, 2011 |
(E-mail. readrut120@hotmail.com)
WHEN A LOVED ONE DIES
Have you lost a loved one in death? The pain, the grief, and the feelings of helplessness can seem unbearable. At such times, we need to go to God’s Word for comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4) The Bible helps us to understand how Jehovah and Jesus feel about death. Jesus, who perfectly reflected his Father, knew the pain of losing someone in death. (John 14:9) When he was in Jerusalem, Jesus used to visit Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, who lived in the nearby town of Bethany. They became close friends. The Bible says: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” (John 11:5) Though, Lazarus died. How did Jesus feel about losing his friend? The account tells us that Jesus joined Lazarus’ relatives and friends as they grieved over this loss. Seeing them, Jesus was deeply moved. He “groaned in the spirit and became troubled.” Then, the account says, “Jesus gave way to tears.” (John 11:33, 35) Did Jesus’ grief mean that he had no hope? Not at all. In fact, Jesus knew that something wonderful was about to happen. (John 11:3, 4) Still, he felt the pain and sorrow that death brings. In a way, Jesus’ grief is encouraging to us. It teaches us that Jesus and his Father, Jehovah, hate death. But Jehovah God is able to fight and overcome that enemy! Let us see what God enabled Jesus to do.
For more reference about this wonderful hope you can visit www.watchtower.org
