Ernest W. “Abe” Ozier
Ernest W. “Abe” Ozier, 92, of Shelbyville, formerly of Arthur, passed away at 10:35 p.m. Monday (August 24, 2020) at St John’s Hospital in Springfield.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 29, 2020 at the Arthur United Methodist Church with Pastors Jill Bunker and Seth Schutte officiating. Visitation will be from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will follow in the Arthur Cemetery with military rites accorded by the U.S. Army Honor Guard and the Arthur American Legion Post #479. The family asks that everyone attending please wear a mask and casual attire.
Abe was born on May 19, 1928 near Sullivan, Illinois; the son of Ernest and Mabel Ozier. He married Margie Oye in Arthur on August 28, 1950. She passed away in 1997. He then married Cynthia Stretch in Shelbyville on October 13, 2001. She survives.
Survivors include his wife, Cynthia of Shelbyville; daughter, Christie (Don) Hale of Oakland; son, Eric (Kim) Ozier of Mahomet; stepsons, Rick (Sonya) Stretch of Mt. Gilead, Ohio; Greg Stretch of Shelbyville; grandchildren, Colleen (Seth) Schutte of Fisher; Kyle Ozier of Herrin; step grandsons, Adam Stretch and Isaac Stretch of Tucson, Arizona; great-grandsons, Kade Schutte and Micah Schutte; sister, Dorothy Albert of Vinton, Iowa; half-sister, Ella Ozier of Wisconsin; half-brothers, Daniel Ozier and Phil Ozier of Washington; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Margie; infant son, Ronald Ozier; infant grandson, Matthew Ozier; brother, Paul Ozier; and sisters, Mary Cooper and Aileen McElroy.
Abe was a graduate of Lovington High School and received a county scholarship to attend the University of Illinois. While at Illinois he was a member of the Nabor House fraternity and completed the Army ROTC program. He graduated in 1950 with a degree in Agriculture.
Abe was a veteran of the Korean War. After beginning his military service at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, he was accepted into the army aviator training program. He completed flight school in San Marcos, Texas and was assigned as a reconnaissance pilot with the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division in Korea. He flew 57 combat missions and was awarded the Army Air Medal. After the war he served as a pilot in the Army Reserve and retired as a major.
Abe worked for USI Chemical Corp in Tuscola as a heavy equipment operator for 34 years and retired in 1991. He was a past commander of the Arthur American Legion and a member of the VFW. He served as a trustee on the City Council in Arthur and was a member of the Arthur United Methodist Church.
Memorials are suggested to the Arthur United Methodist Church.
Online condolences to the family may be sent to www.hilligossshraderfh.com
Condolences to the family with thoughts of many friendship years including those of times with Abe and Marge ‘Pooch’ Oye-Ozier, Bill & Delores Green-Honn, Sis-in-law Dorothy ‘Doad’ & Herb Oye-Waters and Neil & Connie Hall-McDonald. Doad & Herb and Pooch & Abe lived across Third Street from one another in Arthur and joked about their living on ‘Turd’ Street. Great times here. Friendships between Abe and Neil, and their second spouses, Cynthia Stretch-Ozier and Deanna West-McDonald were renewed in later years.