NORMAL - Henry Ross Etter, 68, of Normal died at 3:44 a.m. Friday (March 13, 2009) at his home. His celebration of life gathering will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday (March 17, 2009) at the GE Clubhouse on GE Road in Bloomington with Chaplain Stephanie Soon officiating. His family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday (March 16, 2009) at Carmody-Flynn Williamsburg Funeral Home, Bloomington.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to OSF Hospice.
Henry was born Sept. 26, 1940 in Washington, D.C., the son of Lorton Dale and Mary Lane Stanton Etter. He married Bernadine Meeker on June 18, 1966 at Holy Trinity Church, Bloomington. She survives. Also surviving are five daughters, Carrie Etter, Bradford on Avon, England, Laura (Reggie) Wallace, Bloomington, Nancy (Scott) Cummings, Stanford, Sandra (Charlie) Casperson, Bloomington and Joanna (Bryan) Perschall, Bloomington; and 12 grandchildren, Lindsey, Justin and Nathan Wallace, Matthew Cummings, Brandon Etter, Sara Cummings, Austin and Kaylee Lusher, Joslynn Casperson, Katelyn Etter, and Alex and Andrew Perschall. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Henry grew up in St. Louis and received a BS in journalism and political science from Washington University there. On graduation he was employed as a reporter for the Daily Pantagraph and later became Director of University Information at Illinois Wesleyan University. In 1970 he became editor of the Daily Reporter at General Electric in Bloomington and enjoyed the position for 13 years, proceeding to the position of catalog editor before he retired in 2002.
Over the years, he also served on the boards of the GE Credit Union and Oakdale School's PTA, and along with his wife, he was active in Marriage Encounter through the Peoria Diocese. An avid cyclist, Henry rode 25 miles a day before his illness; he was also a great enthusiast for rock and roll trivia, meteorology, camping and trains.
