DONALD E. ROOT

Donald Root

Donald E. Root, 88, of Rushville died at 10:05 a.m. Jan. 9, 2021, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy.

He was born Feb. 2, 1932, a son of Jesse R. and Alice Sears Root. He married Mary E. Brinton on March 10, 1951, in Rushville. She survives.

Also surviving are four children, Kathy (and Bob) Jett and Rocky (and Kim) Root, both of Rushville, Rick Root of Fort Myers, Fla., and Randy (and Angela) Root Sr. of Adair, Okla.; two brothers, George (and Gwen) Root of Marissa and Larry (and Nancy) Root of Kansas City, Mo.; 12 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one granddaughter, Dawn Root Bronson; one great-granddaughter, Angey Childers; one sister, Della McDonald; and two brothers, LaVerne and Eldred Root.

He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War, from December, 1950 to March, 1954. He and his brother George owned and operated Root’s Conoco in Rushville. He made license plates for Hemp’s in Macomb. He was a truck driver for Bartlow Brothers in Rushville, JB Hunt in St. Louis, Star Trucking in Morton and L and N Industries in Ray, retiring in 1992.

He was a member of Sugar Grove United Methodist Church, the Schuyler County American Legion Post #4, the Carthage VFW, Rushville Moose 506 and the Rushville Lions Club. While his sons were young, he coached minor league baseball and was a Master of Boy Scouts. He volunteered with the Schuyler County Food Basket.

Private Family Services will be held at the Wood Funeral Home in Rushville with Pastor Charla Meyers officiating. Burial will follow in the Rushville City Cemetery with military rites by the U.S. Navy Burial Detail and the Schuyler American Legion Post #4.

Memorials may be made to Sugar Grove United Methodist Church or the Schuyler County Food Basket.

Condolences may be sent to, and his memorial video viewed, www.woodfh.net.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 1/13/2021