DWIGHT, Ill. — Mr. James Chester DeLong, 94, of Dwight, died at 6:33 p.m. Friday, July 23, 2010, at Heritage Manor, Dwight, with family at his side.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, July 26, 2010, at Hager Memorial Home, Dwight, with the funeral service following at the memorial home. Rev. William Leppin will officiate.
Burial will be at Oaklawn Cemetery, Dwight. Full military rites will be conducted by the Dwight VFW Post 2608 and the Dwight American Legion Post 486.
Born March 7, 1916, in Odell, James was the son of Claude D. and Mae Gill DeLong. He married Laurine Horn on March 7, 1948. She died August 26, 1986.
Survivors include two daughters, Deborah (son-in-law, Wayne Welsh) Gall of Dwight and Jodi Clark of Dwight; one stepson, John D. (Mary Lyn) Kingsley of Glasford, Ill.; grandchildren, Kimberly Lacy of Deerfield, Ill., Lori Barschdorf of Bridgman, Mich., Jennifer Fieldman of Plainfield, Ill., Robert (R.J.) Gall of Dwight, Lisa Oelschlager of Orlando, Fla. and Laura Clark of Florida; one step-grandchild, John T. Kingsley; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 38 years, Laurine; two sisters, Ella Fortner and Virginia Mathiesen; two brothers, Edward and Claude Jr. DeLong; two sons-in-law, Robert Gall and Ron Clark; and one great-grandchild, Kade Gall.
He was a 1935 graduate of Dwight High School. In 1942, Jim entered the U.S. Navy, becoming an aviation machinist mate, 2nd class, and a member of the crew aboard a PB4Y1 patrol plane in the European Theater of Operations. He was awarded the Air Medal with a Gold Star.
After he returned from service, he worked with his father and brothers at DeLong's Garage, which later became DeLong's Ford Mercury. He was awarded the President's Award from Ford Motor Company.
Jim was a member of the Dwight Methodist Church, the Dwight Mainstreet Program, the Dwight Historical Society, past president and lifetime member of tthe Chamber of Commerce, a lifetime Red Fez Shrine Club member, Mohammad Shrine, a member of the Livingston Masonic Lodge 371, the Dwight VFW Post 2608 and the Dwight American Legion Post 486.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Dwight Mainstreet Program or the Shriners Hospital for Children, 2211 N. Oak Park Ave., Chicago, Ill., 60707.
Online condolences can be made to www.hagermemorialhome.com.
Hager Memorial Home, 201 W. Mazon Ave., Dwight, Ill., 60420, is in charge of arrangements. For more information, call (815) 584-2666.