Joseph C. Wakeland

Joseph C. Wakeland, 86, of New Boston, Illinois died on Saturday, November 17, 2012 at Mercer County Nursing Home, Aledo. A celebration of life for Joseph and Wilma will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, December 15, 2012 at Bewley Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Aledo. Military honors will be conducted by the Mercer County VFW Post 1571. Burial will be in the New Boston Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Joseph C. Wakeland memorial fund.

Mr. Wakeland was born March 12, 1926 in Muscatine, Iowa, the son of Joseph Eli and Mamie Fifield Wakeland. He married Wilma Kaufman on July 6, 1946 in Aledo. She passed away January 14, 2007.

Joseph was a Navy WWII Veteran. He operated Wakeland Shell gas station in New Boston for many years. He retired from the Westmer bus garage.

He enjoyed music, feeding the birds and squirrels and sitting with his two chihuahuas, Skippy and Babe.

Those left to cherish his memory include his children, Sandy (Chuck) Pierce, Kahoka, Missouri, Jeri (Earl) Brown, Alexis, Teri Wakeland, New Boston, Danny (Karen) Wakeland, Peoria and Rick Wakeland, New Boston; sister, Cheryl Engle, Aledo; 9 grandchildren, including special grandchildren, Joe Wakeland, Susan Sedam and Lori Huston; 12 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Wilma; 2 brothers and 2 sisters.