VILLA GROVE — Paul Lawrence Cler was born Oct. 27, 1921, the son of Henry and Hilda Cler, in Pesotum. Celestine Eisenmenger and Paul were married June 10, 1941, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pesotum. He passed away Father’s Day (June 16, 2019) at the Tuscola Health Care Center.
Visitation will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Friday, June 21, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Villa Grove. Funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. with Father Aloysius Ndeanaefo officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, rural Pesotum.
Married for 74 years, Paul and Cel raised nine children: Jacquelyn (Glenn) Keever, Kenneth (Judy) Cler, Sandra (Gerald) Baumann, Edward (Dena) Cler, Thomas (Donna) Cler, Marvin (Pamela) Cler, Chloanne (Berton) Rund, Patrick (Alison) Cler and Keith (Lyn) Cler. Over 70 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren called Paul "grandpa."
Paul was preceded in death by his loving wife, three brothers (Bernard, Frank and Eugene), two sisters (Helen and Marilyn), a son (Kenneth), two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He is survived by five sons, three daughters and his baby sister, Juanita.
The patriarch of a very large family, Paul was unwavering in his faith and raised his children to know and love God.
He and Cel began their life together in South Carolina. Paul taught sheet metal work and did ship repair in the Navy shipyards during World War II as a civil servant. Then he enlisted in the Navy to do ship repair in the New York shipyards. When they returned to Illinois, they settled in Villa Grove, and Paul made a home in the garage until he finished building the house.
Never one to be underestimated, Paul was a man of courage and resiliency, even in the recent years and months as he dealt with his failing health.
If you knew Paul, you know of the endless love, support and guidance he provided to his family. If you knew Paul, you knew he allowed his children to learn through experimentation (mingled with “tough love”). If you knew Paul, you knew that if you stopped in at “the shop” with broken equipment for your farming operation or other business, that failure would not recur. He relished making good as new what was labeled as “it can’t be fixed.”
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org) or the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (rettsyndrome.org).
Visitation will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Friday, June 21, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Villa Grove. Funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. with Father Aloysius Ndeanaefo officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, rural Pesotum.
Married for 74 years, Paul and Cel raised nine children: Jacquelyn (Glenn) Keever, Kenneth (Judy) Cler, Sandra (Gerald) Baumann, Edward (Dena) Cler, Thomas (Donna) Cler, Marvin (Pamela) Cler, Chloanne (Berton) Rund, Patrick (Alison) Cler and Keith (Lyn) Cler. Over 70 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren called Paul "grandpa."
Paul was preceded in death by his loving wife, three brothers (Bernard, Frank and Eugene), two sisters (Helen and Marilyn), a son (Kenneth), two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He is survived by five sons, three daughters and his baby sister, Juanita.
The patriarch of a very large family, Paul was unwavering in his faith and raised his children to know and love God.
He and Cel began their life together in South Carolina. Paul taught sheet metal work and did ship repair in the Navy shipyards during World War II as a civil servant. Then he enlisted in the Navy to do ship repair in the New York shipyards. When they returned to Illinois, they settled in Villa Grove, and Paul made a home in the garage until he finished building the house.
Never one to be underestimated, Paul was a man of courage and resiliency, even in the recent years and months as he dealt with his failing health.
If you knew Paul, you know of the endless love, support and guidance he provided to his family. If you knew Paul, you knew he allowed his children to learn through experimentation (mingled with “tough love”). If you knew Paul, you knew that if you stopped in at “the shop” with broken equipment for your farming operation or other business, that failure would not recur. He relished making good as new what was labeled as “it can’t be fixed.”
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org) or the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (rettsyndrome.org).
VILLA GROVE — Paul Lawrence Cler was born Oct. 27, 1921, the son of Henry and Hilda Cler, in Pesotum. Celestine Eisenmenger and Paul were married June 10, 1941, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pesotum. He passed away Father’s Day (June 16, 2019) at the Tuscola Health Care Center.
Visitation will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Friday, June 21, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Villa Grove. Funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. with Father Aloysius Ndeanaefo officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, rural Pesotum.
Married for 74 years, Paul and Cel raised nine children: Jacquelyn (Glenn) Keever, Kenneth (Judy) Cler, Sandra (Gerald) Baumann, Edward (Dena) Cler, Thomas (Donna) Cler, Marvin (Pamela) Cler, Chloanne (Berton) Rund, Patrick (Alison) Cler and Keith (Lyn) Cler. Over 70 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren called Paul "grandpa."
Paul was preceded in death by his loving wife, three brothers (Bernard, Frank and Eugene), two sisters (Helen and Marilyn), a son (Kenneth), two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He is survived by five sons, three daughters and his baby sister, Juanita.
The patriarch of a very large family, Paul was unwavering in his faith and raised his children to know and love God.
He and Cel began their life together in South Carolina. Paul taught sheet metal work and did ship repair in the Navy shipyards during World War II as a civil servant. Then he enlisted in the Navy to do ship repair in the New York shipyards. When they returned to Illinois, they settled in Villa Grove, and Paul made a home in the garage until he finished building the house.
Never one to be underestimated, Paul was a man of courage and resiliency, even in the recent years and months as he dealt with his failing health.
If you knew Paul, you know of the endless love, support and guidance he provided to his family. If you knew Paul, you knew he allowed his children to learn through experimentation (mingled with “tough love”). If you knew Paul, you knew that if you stopped in at “the shop” with broken equipment for your farming operation or other business, that failure would not recur. He relished making good as new what was labeled as “it can’t be fixed.”
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org) or the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (rettsyndrome.org).
Visitation will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Friday, June 21, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Villa Grove. Funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. with Father Aloysius Ndeanaefo officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, rural Pesotum.
Married for 74 years, Paul and Cel raised nine children: Jacquelyn (Glenn) Keever, Kenneth (Judy) Cler, Sandra (Gerald) Baumann, Edward (Dena) Cler, Thomas (Donna) Cler, Marvin (Pamela) Cler, Chloanne (Berton) Rund, Patrick (Alison) Cler and Keith (Lyn) Cler. Over 70 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren called Paul "grandpa."
Paul was preceded in death by his loving wife, three brothers (Bernard, Frank and Eugene), two sisters (Helen and Marilyn), a son (Kenneth), two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He is survived by five sons, three daughters and his baby sister, Juanita.
The patriarch of a very large family, Paul was unwavering in his faith and raised his children to know and love God.
He and Cel began their life together in South Carolina. Paul taught sheet metal work and did ship repair in the Navy shipyards during World War II as a civil servant. Then he enlisted in the Navy to do ship repair in the New York shipyards. When they returned to Illinois, they settled in Villa Grove, and Paul made a home in the garage until he finished building the house.
Never one to be underestimated, Paul was a man of courage and resiliency, even in the recent years and months as he dealt with his failing health.
If you knew Paul, you know of the endless love, support and guidance he provided to his family. If you knew Paul, you knew he allowed his children to learn through experimentation (mingled with “tough love”). If you knew Paul, you knew that if you stopped in at “the shop” with broken equipment for your farming operation or other business, that failure would not recur. He relished making good as new what was labeled as “it can’t be fixed.”
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org) or the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (rettsyndrome.org).
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