Virginia B. (Applebee) Heermann

OTTAWA – Virginia B. Heermann, 80, of Ottawa, passed away Tuesday, September 30, 2014, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Monday, October 6, 2014, at Gladfelter Funeral Home with Reverend Duane Kaufman officiating. Burial will follow in Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m. Sunday evening and also from 9:00 a.m. till 10:00 a.m. Monday morning at the funeral home.

Virginia was born January 16, 1934, in Ottawa, the daughter of Walter and Stella (Bannan) Applebee. She married Edward T. Heermann June 16, 1956, in Ottawa. Surviving are her husband of 58 years, Edward, of Ottawa; her children, Loretta (Joseph) Stenger of Yorkville and Linda (Greg) Gebhardt of Marseilles; her grandchildren, David and John Stenger, Greg and Tira Gebhardt, Jessie Bailey, Louie and Emily Cotton, Mackenzie and Jacob Davis, and Hudson Osborne; eleven great grandchildren; and her brothers, Virgil Applebee of Marseilles, Marvin Applebee of Utica, and Wayne Applebee of Ottawa. She was preceded in death by her parents; her step father, Joseph Kastler; two daughters, Susan Heermann-Osborne and Margaret (Cotton) Davis; one granddaughter, Jennifer Gebhardt; and one sister, Delores Schroeder. Pallbearers will be David and John Stenger, Tom Pazur, James Bailey, Greg Gebhardt, Louie Cotton, and Hudson Osborne. Honorary pallbearers will be Tira Gebhardt, Jessie Bailey, and Emily Cotton.

Virginia taught school in Norway in a one-room school house.  She worked 38 years as the cafeteria manager at Rutland School and was currently the manager of Rural America Crafts and Antiques in Ottawa.  She attended Millikin Grade School, graduated from Marseilles High School and attended Northern Illinois University.  Virginia treasured her family and loved being around people.  She enjoyed doing crafts.  Memorial contributions may be directed to the American Diabetes Association.