George B. Newman, 87, of Wilton died Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Tomah.
He was born to George B. and Laura (Weaver) Newman in Decatur, Ill., on June 1, 1926. As a child, he attended Hickory Point Grade School and later Roosevelt Junior High and Warrenburg Community High School in Illinois.
He was drafted into the Navy in 1944 and served in the South Pacific. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he received his Bachelor of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois University. While in college, he met and married Bernita Bushart and had three daughters, Sharon, Denise and Connie. They were later divorced, and he married Lois (Skaggs) Wildes and had a daughter, Jill.
He worked various jobs, including at Illinois Power and Light, a guard at the Joliet Arsenal, a guard at the Goodyear plant, and District Scout Executive for the Boy Scouts. He later farmed and raised cattle, retiring in 1982.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois; his parents; three brothers-in-law; three sisters-in-law; one nephew; and one granddaughter.
He is survived by six daughters, Sharon (Radar) Matt of Phoenix, Ariz., Connie (John) Majerus of Stoddard, Denise (Mike) Hoppe of Glendale, Ariz., Jill (Brock) Larson of Camp Douglas, Dawn (Mike) Bastian of Tomah and Cindy (Philip) Puent of Camp Douglas; one son, Allan (Diane) New Holland, Penn.; one sister, Lauretta Willams of Arcola, Ill.; three sisters-in-laws; one brother-in-law; 10 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Faith Congregational Church, 502 Enderby, Wilton. Pastor Ben Janzen will officiate. Burial will be in Hillside Cemetery in Wilton. Relatives and friends are invited to call at the Smith-Nelson Funeral Home in Wilton from 4-7 p.m. Friday, and at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of service Saturday.
Online condolences may be given at www.sonnenburgfamilyfh.com.
