WILLIAM OTTO BAUM

William Baum

William Otto Baum, 65, of Peoria, died at 9:10 a.m. Saturday, May 31, 1997, at Methodist Medical Center.

He was born Feb. 17, 1932, in East Peoria, a son of Adolph and Violet M. Crowe Baum. He married Nellie VanOppen in 1952. He later married Phyllis Frede Charlson on April 17, 1974, in East Peoria. She survives.

Also surviving are three sons, William Otto Jr. of Lakeland, Texas, Michael Cheyanne of Pekin and Karl Eugene of Monett, Mo.; one stepson, Gregory Allen Charlson of Peoria; one daughter, Mrs. Carl (Margo Marie) Yeagle of East Peoria; four stepdaughters, Cheryl Kay Smith, Debra Lee Charlson, Mrs. Willie (Carol Sue) Barnett and Mrs. William (Judith Ann) Fielding, all of Peoria; two brothers, Adolph Christian Jr. of Browning and Floyd Ernest of Morton; one sister, Phyllis DeFontaine of Chicago; six grandchildren; 19 stepgrandchildren; one great-grandchild; and eight stepgreat-grandchildren.

One sister preceded him in death.

A Korean War veteran, he served in the Army Crops of Engineers. A member of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsman Local 6 in Peoria, he was a bricklayer for Otto Baum and Baum Construction for 48 years, retiring in 1994. He was also a member of Morton Apostolic Christian Church.

Graveside services were held this morning at Buckeye Cemetery in Morton with the Apostolic Christian Church ministers officiating. Military rites were conducted by American Legion Post 318 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5921, both of Morton.

Ludwig-Rohrschneider Mortuary in Morton was in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 2580 Federal Drive, Suite 403, Decatur, Ill. 62526.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 6/4/1997