Roger L "Peely" Payne, 76 of Lexington passed away at 6:40am Friday (June 4, 2021) at his home surrounded by his loving daughters, beloved wife and dear friends. After fighting many health issues through the past several years Peely final succumbed to lung cancer after a short but trying battle.
Peely was born on March 12, 1945 in Lexington, the third child of Gordon and Julia Dixine (Tracy) Payne. They preceded him in death along with three older brothers, Edgar, Walter "Snaz" and James Payne. Oldest son, Hank O. Payne also preceded him in death. He is survived by sister Beverly (Donald) Kiger, Momence, Illinois.
Peely leaves behind his beloved bride, Jeanene Payne of Lexington. Peely and Jeanene recently celebrated 50 years of marriage on January 26, 2021. Peely cherished his bride more than anything and reminded her often of his love. Even in his final days he often reminded Jeanene how lucky he was to have married her, been her best friends and partner. Peely and Jeanene shared 6 children, Angie Nagel (Thomas Baumann) of Munich, Germany, Bree (Kevin) Powers, Heyworth; Sam Payne, Lexington; Skye (Bryan) Wilken, Bloomington; Blair (Ryan) Abraham, Pontiac; Whitney (Bryan) Clark, Lincoln; daughter-in-law Rose Payne, Hudson; many adored nieces, nephews and cousins. One of Peely's greatest joys was seeing his children become parents and getting any chance to spoil the grandchildren. Grandchildren include Mary Hinthorne, Page & Lucas Powers, Kennedy & Ty Abraham, Julia Dixine Wilken, and Brooklyn, Brynn and Benny-Peely Clark. "Grandpa Peewee" loved giving his grandkids golf cart rides, allowed ice cream even when the parents said no, and giving out dollar bills whenever the kids did something sweet. Grandpa Peewee smiled ear to ear when the kids came to visit. From tractor rides to circling the pool table to enjoying time on his front porch, any time with the grandkids had Peely beaming with pride. Peely was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Dads in 2019.
Peely served in the US Army during the Vietnam War as a ########. Following his service, Peely returned home to help his father at the family farm, eventually taking over the farm for him in 1970. Peely was a Third Generation Farmer in Lexington on the land he was raised on, eventually retiring in 2015. Peely's passion was farming and teaching his children the importance of hard work, structure and independence. He also worked as a Rural Mail Carrier in Hudson and Lexington for 28 years until retiring in 2001. Upon retirement Peely spent winters in Mesa, Arizona as a snowbird. Spending most of his days circling the pool table. His skills and talents within the pool hall helped him win many of the Grand Champion Pool Tournaments hosted within the retirement community. Peely was always the Champ to us but many years he was in fact, The Champ! Peely's joy for billiards came back home to Illinois with him as he opened Peely's Pool Hall in Lexington in 2010, which is frequented by friends, family and players from all over Illinois. If Peely wasn't at the pool hall he could be found sitting on his porch with 'Peely's Porch Pals' watching the traffic pass by on Main Street. The cool breeze and wonderful company kept Peely on the porch for hours visiting with friends from near and far. Peely described his porch as, 'the best place on earth!'
As Peely and Jeanene built their life on the land where he grew up, they basked in farm life and teaching their kids many farm lessons. From walking beans to picking up boulders in the fields to butchering chickens – everything was a family affair, just like Peely liked it. Peely was an incredibly hands on dad, coaching many sports through the years, teaching each child to ride a bike, drive a car and maneuver a tractor – he took pride in teaching his kids life's lessons and the value of hard work. As each child left home Peely was their biggest cheerleader and supporter as they found their careers and created their own families. The nurses in Peely's life started mastering their skills at a very young age as they cared for him even as young girls when he broke his ankle and went through several hip replacements. Peely had the best nurses around in his wife and daughters!
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Lexington and rarely missed a Sunday. Peely often told his many kids that, "You don't have to go to church, you Get To Go!"
Peely was a man full of humor and has many infamous quotes that kept his family and friends laughing. He didn't know a stranger and if he came upon one, he quickly quizzed them and became instant friends. If you knew Peely, you knew that the way to his heart was through his stomach. Mealtime was something to savor for him – he enjoyed a good meal and good company over anything. Peely would go through his long list of kids and plan nightly dates with each of them to get his quality time in. He also had standing weekly meals with a circle of close friends. He would travel all over central Illinois looking for the best fried chicken around. Along with good meals includes a lifetime of fun around the poker table. Peely's poker group has gotten smaller but playing once every two weeks for nearly 60 years was always a huge joy for him. His poker pal parties were a great opportunity for his daughters to spoil Peely and friends while serving drinks and a delicious meal between games.
With his wonderful sense of humor came a glowing smile. When Peely smiled, he lit up a room. in the last several years Peely would do videos back and forth to his kids to stay more engaged with them. He loved getting daily updates and meal reviews from each of them. Peely was famous for calling and texting each child on their birthdays. Peely referred to all of his daughters as, 'little girl' and even though he has left us on earth we will cherish our saved messages and memories until the end of time.
A huge thank you for the love and support of lifelong friends, TJ and Nancy Powell of Lexington. With their help and his four daughters, Peely was able to be home with his bride until he left us, making him extremely happy and the time with him incredibly precious.
Whether you knew Peely a short time or a lifetime, he was an incredible man who touched many lives through the years.
Funeral will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Lexington Thursday at 11am followed by a grave side burial at the Lexington Cemetery with Rev. Garry Gromley officiating, full military rites being conducted by the Lexington American Legion Post 291.
Peely was born on March 12, 1945 in Lexington, the third child of Gordon and Julia Dixine (Tracy) Payne. They preceded him in death along with three older brothers, Edgar, Walter "Snaz" and James Payne. Oldest son, Hank O. Payne also preceded him in death. He is survived by sister Beverly (Donald) Kiger, Momence, Illinois.
Peely leaves behind his beloved bride, Jeanene Payne of Lexington. Peely and Jeanene recently celebrated 50 years of marriage on January 26, 2021. Peely cherished his bride more than anything and reminded her often of his love. Even in his final days he often reminded Jeanene how lucky he was to have married her, been her best friends and partner. Peely and Jeanene shared 6 children, Angie Nagel (Thomas Baumann) of Munich, Germany, Bree (Kevin) Powers, Heyworth; Sam Payne, Lexington; Skye (Bryan) Wilken, Bloomington; Blair (Ryan) Abraham, Pontiac; Whitney (Bryan) Clark, Lincoln; daughter-in-law Rose Payne, Hudson; many adored nieces, nephews and cousins. One of Peely's greatest joys was seeing his children become parents and getting any chance to spoil the grandchildren. Grandchildren include Mary Hinthorne, Page & Lucas Powers, Kennedy & Ty Abraham, Julia Dixine Wilken, and Brooklyn, Brynn and Benny-Peely Clark. "Grandpa Peewee" loved giving his grandkids golf cart rides, allowed ice cream even when the parents said no, and giving out dollar bills whenever the kids did something sweet. Grandpa Peewee smiled ear to ear when the kids came to visit. From tractor rides to circling the pool table to enjoying time on his front porch, any time with the grandkids had Peely beaming with pride. Peely was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Dads in 2019.
Peely served in the US Army during the Vietnam War as a ########. Following his service, Peely returned home to help his father at the family farm, eventually taking over the farm for him in 1970. Peely was a Third Generation Farmer in Lexington on the land he was raised on, eventually retiring in 2015. Peely's passion was farming and teaching his children the importance of hard work, structure and independence. He also worked as a Rural Mail Carrier in Hudson and Lexington for 28 years until retiring in 2001. Upon retirement Peely spent winters in Mesa, Arizona as a snowbird. Spending most of his days circling the pool table. His skills and talents within the pool hall helped him win many of the Grand Champion Pool Tournaments hosted within the retirement community. Peely was always the Champ to us but many years he was in fact, The Champ! Peely's joy for billiards came back home to Illinois with him as he opened Peely's Pool Hall in Lexington in 2010, which is frequented by friends, family and players from all over Illinois. If Peely wasn't at the pool hall he could be found sitting on his porch with 'Peely's Porch Pals' watching the traffic pass by on Main Street. The cool breeze and wonderful company kept Peely on the porch for hours visiting with friends from near and far. Peely described his porch as, 'the best place on earth!'
As Peely and Jeanene built their life on the land where he grew up, they basked in farm life and teaching their kids many farm lessons. From walking beans to picking up boulders in the fields to butchering chickens – everything was a family affair, just like Peely liked it. Peely was an incredibly hands on dad, coaching many sports through the years, teaching each child to ride a bike, drive a car and maneuver a tractor – he took pride in teaching his kids life's lessons and the value of hard work. As each child left home Peely was their biggest cheerleader and supporter as they found their careers and created their own families. The nurses in Peely's life started mastering their skills at a very young age as they cared for him even as young girls when he broke his ankle and went through several hip replacements. Peely had the best nurses around in his wife and daughters!
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Lexington and rarely missed a Sunday. Peely often told his many kids that, "You don't have to go to church, you Get To Go!"
Peely was a man full of humor and has many infamous quotes that kept his family and friends laughing. He didn't know a stranger and if he came upon one, he quickly quizzed them and became instant friends. If you knew Peely, you knew that the way to his heart was through his stomach. Mealtime was something to savor for him – he enjoyed a good meal and good company over anything. Peely would go through his long list of kids and plan nightly dates with each of them to get his quality time in. He also had standing weekly meals with a circle of close friends. He would travel all over central Illinois looking for the best fried chicken around. Along with good meals includes a lifetime of fun around the poker table. Peely's poker group has gotten smaller but playing once every two weeks for nearly 60 years was always a huge joy for him. His poker pal parties were a great opportunity for his daughters to spoil Peely and friends while serving drinks and a delicious meal between games.
With his wonderful sense of humor came a glowing smile. When Peely smiled, he lit up a room. in the last several years Peely would do videos back and forth to his kids to stay more engaged with them. He loved getting daily updates and meal reviews from each of them. Peely was famous for calling and texting each child on their birthdays. Peely referred to all of his daughters as, 'little girl' and even though he has left us on earth we will cherish our saved messages and memories until the end of time.
A huge thank you for the love and support of lifelong friends, TJ and Nancy Powell of Lexington. With their help and his four daughters, Peely was able to be home with his bride until he left us, making him extremely happy and the time with him incredibly precious.
Whether you knew Peely a short time or a lifetime, he was an incredible man who touched many lives through the years.
Funeral will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Lexington Thursday at 11am followed by a grave side burial at the Lexington Cemetery with Rev. Garry Gromley officiating, full military rites being conducted by the Lexington American Legion Post 291.
Roger L "Peely" Payne, 76 of Lexington passed away at 6:40am Friday (June 4, 2021) at his home surrounded by his loving daughters, beloved wife and dear friends. After fighting many health issues through the past several years Peely final succumbed to lung cancer after a short but trying battle.
Peely was born on March 12, 1945 in Lexington, the third child of Gordon and Julia Dixine (Tracy) Payne. They preceded him in death along with three older brothers, Edgar, Walter "Snaz" and James Payne. Oldest son, Hank O. Payne also preceded him in death. He is survived by sister Beverly (Donald) Kiger, Momence, Illinois.
Peely leaves behind his beloved bride, Jeanene Payne of Lexington. Peely and Jeanene recently celebrated 50 years of marriage on January 26, 2021. Peely cherished his bride more than anything and reminded her often of his love. Even in his final days he often reminded Jeanene how lucky he was to have married her, been her best friends and partner. Peely and Jeanene shared 6 children, Angie Nagel (Thomas Baumann) of Munich, Germany, Bree (Kevin) Powers, Heyworth; Sam Payne, Lexington; Skye (Bryan) Wilken, Bloomington; Blair (Ryan) Abraham, Pontiac; Whitney (Bryan) Clark, Lincoln; daughter-in-law Rose Payne, Hudson; many adored nieces, nephews and cousins. One of Peely's greatest joys was seeing his children become parents and getting any chance to spoil the grandchildren. Grandchildren include Mary Hinthorne, Page & Lucas Powers, Kennedy & Ty Abraham, Julia Dixine Wilken, and Brooklyn, Brynn and Benny-Peely Clark. "Grandpa Peewee" loved giving his grandkids golf cart rides, allowed ice cream even when the parents said no, and giving out dollar bills whenever the kids did something sweet. Grandpa Peewee smiled ear to ear when the kids came to visit. From tractor rides to circling the pool table to enjoying time on his front porch, any time with the grandkids had Peely beaming with pride. Peely was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Dads in 2019.
Peely served in the US Army during the Vietnam War as a ########. Following his service, Peely returned home to help his father at the family farm, eventually taking over the farm for him in 1970. Peely was a Third Generation Farmer in Lexington on the land he was raised on, eventually retiring in 2015. Peely's passion was farming and teaching his children the importance of hard work, structure and independence. He also worked as a Rural Mail Carrier in Hudson and Lexington for 28 years until retiring in 2001. Upon retirement Peely spent winters in Mesa, Arizona as a snowbird. Spending most of his days circling the pool table. His skills and talents within the pool hall helped him win many of the Grand Champion Pool Tournaments hosted within the retirement community. Peely was always the Champ to us but many years he was in fact, The Champ! Peely's joy for billiards came back home to Illinois with him as he opened Peely's Pool Hall in Lexington in 2010, which is frequented by friends, family and players from all over Illinois. If Peely wasn't at the pool hall he could be found sitting on his porch with 'Peely's Porch Pals' watching the traffic pass by on Main Street. The cool breeze and wonderful company kept Peely on the porch for hours visiting with friends from near and far. Peely described his porch as, 'the best place on earth!'
As Peely and Jeanene built their life on the land where he grew up, they basked in farm life and teaching their kids many farm lessons. From walking beans to picking up boulders in the fields to butchering chickens – everything was a family affair, just like Peely liked it. Peely was an incredibly hands on dad, coaching many sports through the years, teaching each child to ride a bike, drive a car and maneuver a tractor – he took pride in teaching his kids life's lessons and the value of hard work. As each child left home Peely was their biggest cheerleader and supporter as they found their careers and created their own families. The nurses in Peely's life started mastering their skills at a very young age as they cared for him even as young girls when he broke his ankle and went through several hip replacements. Peely had the best nurses around in his wife and daughters!
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Lexington and rarely missed a Sunday. Peely often told his many kids that, "You don't have to go to church, you Get To Go!"
Peely was a man full of humor and has many infamous quotes that kept his family and friends laughing. He didn't know a stranger and if he came upon one, he quickly quizzed them and became instant friends. If you knew Peely, you knew that the way to his heart was through his stomach. Mealtime was something to savor for him – he enjoyed a good meal and good company over anything. Peely would go through his long list of kids and plan nightly dates with each of them to get his quality time in. He also had standing weekly meals with a circle of close friends. He would travel all over central Illinois looking for the best fried chicken around. Along with good meals includes a lifetime of fun around the poker table. Peely's poker group has gotten smaller but playing once every two weeks for nearly 60 years was always a huge joy for him. His poker pal parties were a great opportunity for his daughters to spoil Peely and friends while serving drinks and a delicious meal between games.
With his wonderful sense of humor came a glowing smile. When Peely smiled, he lit up a room. in the last several years Peely would do videos back and forth to his kids to stay more engaged with them. He loved getting daily updates and meal reviews from each of them. Peely was famous for calling and texting each child on their birthdays. Peely referred to all of his daughters as, 'little girl' and even though he has left us on earth we will cherish our saved messages and memories until the end of time.
A huge thank you for the love and support of lifelong friends, TJ and Nancy Powell of Lexington. With their help and his four daughters, Peely was able to be home with his bride until he left us, making him extremely happy and the time with him incredibly precious.
Whether you knew Peely a short time or a lifetime, he was an incredible man who touched many lives through the years.
Funeral will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Lexington Thursday at 11am followed by a grave side burial at the Lexington Cemetery with Rev. Garry Gromley officiating, full military rites being conducted by the Lexington American Legion Post 291.
Peely was born on March 12, 1945 in Lexington, the third child of Gordon and Julia Dixine (Tracy) Payne. They preceded him in death along with three older brothers, Edgar, Walter "Snaz" and James Payne. Oldest son, Hank O. Payne also preceded him in death. He is survived by sister Beverly (Donald) Kiger, Momence, Illinois.
Peely leaves behind his beloved bride, Jeanene Payne of Lexington. Peely and Jeanene recently celebrated 50 years of marriage on January 26, 2021. Peely cherished his bride more than anything and reminded her often of his love. Even in his final days he often reminded Jeanene how lucky he was to have married her, been her best friends and partner. Peely and Jeanene shared 6 children, Angie Nagel (Thomas Baumann) of Munich, Germany, Bree (Kevin) Powers, Heyworth; Sam Payne, Lexington; Skye (Bryan) Wilken, Bloomington; Blair (Ryan) Abraham, Pontiac; Whitney (Bryan) Clark, Lincoln; daughter-in-law Rose Payne, Hudson; many adored nieces, nephews and cousins. One of Peely's greatest joys was seeing his children become parents and getting any chance to spoil the grandchildren. Grandchildren include Mary Hinthorne, Page & Lucas Powers, Kennedy & Ty Abraham, Julia Dixine Wilken, and Brooklyn, Brynn and Benny-Peely Clark. "Grandpa Peewee" loved giving his grandkids golf cart rides, allowed ice cream even when the parents said no, and giving out dollar bills whenever the kids did something sweet. Grandpa Peewee smiled ear to ear when the kids came to visit. From tractor rides to circling the pool table to enjoying time on his front porch, any time with the grandkids had Peely beaming with pride. Peely was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Dads in 2019.
Peely served in the US Army during the Vietnam War as a ########. Following his service, Peely returned home to help his father at the family farm, eventually taking over the farm for him in 1970. Peely was a Third Generation Farmer in Lexington on the land he was raised on, eventually retiring in 2015. Peely's passion was farming and teaching his children the importance of hard work, structure and independence. He also worked as a Rural Mail Carrier in Hudson and Lexington for 28 years until retiring in 2001. Upon retirement Peely spent winters in Mesa, Arizona as a snowbird. Spending most of his days circling the pool table. His skills and talents within the pool hall helped him win many of the Grand Champion Pool Tournaments hosted within the retirement community. Peely was always the Champ to us but many years he was in fact, The Champ! Peely's joy for billiards came back home to Illinois with him as he opened Peely's Pool Hall in Lexington in 2010, which is frequented by friends, family and players from all over Illinois. If Peely wasn't at the pool hall he could be found sitting on his porch with 'Peely's Porch Pals' watching the traffic pass by on Main Street. The cool breeze and wonderful company kept Peely on the porch for hours visiting with friends from near and far. Peely described his porch as, 'the best place on earth!'
As Peely and Jeanene built their life on the land where he grew up, they basked in farm life and teaching their kids many farm lessons. From walking beans to picking up boulders in the fields to butchering chickens – everything was a family affair, just like Peely liked it. Peely was an incredibly hands on dad, coaching many sports through the years, teaching each child to ride a bike, drive a car and maneuver a tractor – he took pride in teaching his kids life's lessons and the value of hard work. As each child left home Peely was their biggest cheerleader and supporter as they found their careers and created their own families. The nurses in Peely's life started mastering their skills at a very young age as they cared for him even as young girls when he broke his ankle and went through several hip replacements. Peely had the best nurses around in his wife and daughters!
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Lexington and rarely missed a Sunday. Peely often told his many kids that, "You don't have to go to church, you Get To Go!"
Peely was a man full of humor and has many infamous quotes that kept his family and friends laughing. He didn't know a stranger and if he came upon one, he quickly quizzed them and became instant friends. If you knew Peely, you knew that the way to his heart was through his stomach. Mealtime was something to savor for him – he enjoyed a good meal and good company over anything. Peely would go through his long list of kids and plan nightly dates with each of them to get his quality time in. He also had standing weekly meals with a circle of close friends. He would travel all over central Illinois looking for the best fried chicken around. Along with good meals includes a lifetime of fun around the poker table. Peely's poker group has gotten smaller but playing once every two weeks for nearly 60 years was always a huge joy for him. His poker pal parties were a great opportunity for his daughters to spoil Peely and friends while serving drinks and a delicious meal between games.
With his wonderful sense of humor came a glowing smile. When Peely smiled, he lit up a room. in the last several years Peely would do videos back and forth to his kids to stay more engaged with them. He loved getting daily updates and meal reviews from each of them. Peely was famous for calling and texting each child on their birthdays. Peely referred to all of his daughters as, 'little girl' and even though he has left us on earth we will cherish our saved messages and memories until the end of time.
A huge thank you for the love and support of lifelong friends, TJ and Nancy Powell of Lexington. With their help and his four daughters, Peely was able to be home with his bride until he left us, making him extremely happy and the time with him incredibly precious.
Whether you knew Peely a short time or a lifetime, he was an incredible man who touched many lives through the years.
Funeral will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Lexington Thursday at 11am followed by a grave side burial at the Lexington Cemetery with Rev. Garry Gromley officiating, full military rites being conducted by the Lexington American Legion Post 291.
Gravesite Details
Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, IL
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
