Obituary of Earl Loyd Ehresman
Earl Loyd Ehresman
Earl Loyd Ehresman, age 93, of Shorewood, Illinois, passed into the arms of Jesus on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, with his wife by his side. Earl was the youngest of eight children, born to Joseph and Anna Ehresman, on their Gridley, Illinois farm. He graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University, following a tour in the Navy. At IWU, he earned the Mortimer Award, given annually to the college’s “Outstanding Senior Chemistry Student” and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. In 1949, he married Betty Diggle (1955). From this union they had one daughter, Paula. In 1988, he married Colette Primmer Stark, at Marley Community Church. Earl was employed for over 42 years as a chemist and Operating Supervisor at the same Lemont Oil Refinery location: working for Globe Oil, Pure Oil, and Union Oil, retiring in 1995 as Supervisor of Gasoline Blending.
Earl loved spending time with family. He also enjoyed Harley Davidson and Indian motorcycles, which he rode to and from college; aviation, earning a private pilot’s license in his 20’s; genealogy; and travel, which included trips to 49 states, Europe, and the United Kingdom. He enjoyed ice skating into his 80’s, swimming into his 90’s, and was a lifelong reader. He will be fondly remembered for his integrity, warm smile, and will always be loved for the kindness, compassion, and devotion he exhibited throughout his lifetime.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Betty; and seven siblings.
His survivors include his wife, Colette; daughter, Paula (Doug) Ohlde; step-daughter, Natalie (Mark) Fears; step-son, Rodney (Nancy) Stark; and five step grandchildren, Aaron, Emily, and Isabelle Fears, and Matthew and Ryan Stark.
Funeral Services for Earl Loyd Ehresman will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black at Essington Roads, Joliet, IL. Family and friends are invited to meet at Gridley Cemetery, one mile north of Gridley on Ford Street, Gridley, IL for 2:30 p.m. committal service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the American Heart Association. Visitation will be held on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until the time of service at 10:30 a.m. For information, please call 815-741-5500 or visit his Memorial Tribute at
