Roland Walter Stafford, Jr.
October 20, 1925 — September 21, 2011
WEDRON - Roland Walter Stafford, Jr., 85, of Wedron, passed away Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 24, 2011 at St. Columba Catholic Church with Reverend David M. Kipfer officiating. Burial will be in St. Columba Cemetery with military rites accorded by the Ottawa Veterans Group. Visitation will be from 4 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, September 23, 2011 at Gladfelter Funeral Home with liturgical prayers at 4:00 p.m. Pallbearers will be his grandsons. Mr. Stafford was born October 20, 1925 in Ottawa, a son of Roland Walter Stafford, Sr. and Clotilda (Waltz) Stafford. He married Norma Jean Gordon on June 15, 1946 at St. Columba Catholic Church in Ottawa. She preceded him in death November 17, 2007. Survivors include five sons, Richard (Chere) of Chicago, William (Angela) of Wedron, Gordon (Naomi) of San Francisco, California, David (Kim) of Ottawa and Douglas (Dayle) of Wedron; nine grandchildren, Scott, Jeffrey, Tiffany, Mathew, Bradly, Jessica, Megan, Ryan and Ashley; twelve great grandchildren; and two sisters, Patricia (Glen) Chamberlain of Monmouth, Illinois and Susan (Kenneth) Lecoq of San Antonio, Texas. Roland proudly served his country under the command of General George Patton in the U.S. Army during World War II in the European Campaign in Germany. He was one of the first to cross the Remagen Bridge alive. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his military service. Roland worked as a distributor for Standard Oil. Pitstick Dairy also had employed him for twenty years. He retired from GE Plastics in 1990. Roland also owned and operated a TV repair business. He was a member of the Wedron Community School Board and had served as president. He was a member of Toastmasters, the Ottawa American Legion Post No. 33, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Ottawa Moose Lodge No. 960. Roland loved to garden, work around the house and help his children. Memorial contributions may be directed to the La Salle Veterans Home.