John Behrens

John "Roger" Behrens, 80, of Wyanet died at 7:20 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at his home. with his three daughters by his side. Born Aug. 28, 1928, in Manlius to John Christian William and Anna Eliza (Bradley) Behrens, he married Jill Elane Hodkins Jan. 20, 1962, in Princeton. She died Oct. 18, 2001. He graduated as the salutatorian from Bureau Township High School in 1946. He was a lifetime farmer and had been a seed representative for Pioneer Seed Corn Co. He was a Champion Poland China Breeder. He was a member of the Bureau County Farm Bureau, Princeton Horse Shoe League and Southern Illinois Senior Golf League. He was a 4-H leader for Wyanet Farm Boosters for 15 years and a former Wyanet School Board Member for over 20 years. Roger passionately enjoyed photography, woodworking and golf. During his retirement, he traveled numerous times to Alaska, Washington and Montana, sailed in to Canada and golfed in no less than 10 states in the Western U.S. Roger taught his grandson to golf and cheered his granddaughter in her horse showing career. Roger enjoyed creating many heirloom furniture pieces with his daughters and nephew. Many of the pieces are treasured across the country. He served in the U.S. Army as a private first class in Panama. Surviving are three daughters, Lisa Behrens of Big Lake, Alaska, and Susan (Bob) Pierson and Carol (Kirk) Towne, both of Princeton; six sisters, Anna Mae Frech of Arlington Heights, Mary Kennedy of Princeton, Joan (Frank) See of Waterford, Mich., Alice Bergland of Anchorage, Alaska, Helen Coble of Columbus, Ohio, and Edna (Jim) Adams of Middletown, Ohio; two grandchildren, Lindsay and Colin Pierson of Princeton; numerous nieces and nephews; numerous great-nieces and great-nephews; and one great-great-niece and one great-great-nephew. He was also preceded in death by his parents. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Grant-Johnson Funeral Home, Princeton, with Pastor Connie Bauer officiating. Burial will be in Elm Lawn Memorial Park, Princeton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to Illinois Valley Community Hospital Hospice in Peru or the Wyanet Rescue Squad.