John E. Gearing
John E. Gearing, 88, of Vienna, died Monday, Dec. 12, 2016, at 9:38 a.m. at the Ray and Kay Eckstein Hospice Care Center in Paducah.
He was born on April 15, 1928, in Dongola.
On Sept. 9, 1955, he married Dorothy Chapman in Metropolis. She preceded him in death on Nov. 20, 2008.
Survivors include his children, Mark (his wife, Doris) Gearing of Vienna, David Gearing of Creal Springs, Daniel Gearing of Vienna, Mary (her husband, DeWayne) Gibson of Dongola, Paul (his wife, Tammy) Gearing of Vienna and Sarah (her husband Christian) Kotter of Vienna; 12 grandchildren, Devin Gearing, Holly Vail, Loretta Johnson, David Gibson, Darin Gibson, Donnie Gibson, Nathan Gearing, Jonathon Gearing, Jordan Gearing, Sarena Kotter, Alice Ann Kotter and Joseph Kotter; and two great-grandchildren, Mariah and Caleb Gibson.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Martha (Lentz) Gearing Overfield; a sister, Freida Cooley; and an infant sister.
He was a U.S. Army veteran. He served during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in December 1952.
He was a lifelong farmer. He was a member of the Vienna First Christian Church.
Funeral services will be Thursday, today, at 1 p.m. at Bailey Funeral Home in Vienna. Les Chamberlain will officiate. Burial will be in the Vienna Fraternal Cemetery. Military honors will be accorded by Beggs-Gurley VFW Post No. 5222 and the Illinois National Guard burial honors detail.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, today, at Bailey Funeral Home.
Memorials can be made to Lourdes Hospice, P.O. Box 7100, Paducah, Ky. 42002-7100.
To share a memory or to leave a message of condolence for his family, visit www.baileyfh.com.
Bailey Funeral Home in Vienna is in charge of arrangements.