Giffin Folks Obituary (1910 - 2008)

PONTIAC -- Giffin Folks, 98, Pontiac, died at 7:12 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 11, 2008) at ASTA Care Center of Pontiac. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Duffy Funeral Home, Pontiac, with the Rev. Phil Icenogle officiating. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery, Pontiac. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the funeral home. The family suggests all contributions be made to Kathy Finkenbinder in care of ASTA Care Center, 300 W. Lowell Ave., Pontiac, IL 61764. He was born Sept. 9, 1910, in Brown County, Ind., the son of Louis Wylie and Mary Ellen Arwine Folks. He married Margaret Bosone on April 16, 1931, in Ottawa. She passed away on Aug. 4, 1993. Survivors are two sons, Donald E. Folks and Richard G. (Peg) Folks, both of Pontiac; daughter, Gloria (Jim) Stadler, Pontiac; and brother, Paul Folks, Pontiac; five grandchildren, David (Mary) Stadler, Dawn (Mike) Mitchell, Scott (Casey) Stadler and Shelly (Brian) Durham, all of Pontiac; and Erin (Dallas) Smith, Ochelata, Okla.; 14 great-grandchildren, Chelsea Rodgers, Jase Stadler, Darian Stadler, Brie Stadler, Camille Stadler, Mallory (Jason Hamilton) Mitchell, Ryan Mitchell, Carlee Stadler, Maggie Stadler, Logan Durham, Nathan Durham, Lauren Durham, Jordan Smith and Brandon Smith; two great-great-grandchildren, Travis Smith and Beaudin Hamilton. He was preceded in death by his parents; spouse; seven brothers, Earl, Robert, Floyd, James, Clarence, William and Dean; and two sisters, Opal Peasley and Olive Drake-Morlan. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Pontiac. He was a member of Pontiac VFW Post 886, American Legion and a past Pontiac Moose member. He worked from 1941 to 1951 at the Nationwide Glove Factory in Pontiac as a foreman, and from 1956 to 1976 at the Pontiac Chair Factory as a sewing machine repairman. Giffin attended rural schools in Illinois. He was in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1945 stationed in Italy, France and Germany, where he was awarded three Battle Stars and had also fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He was loved by all his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; and he greatly enjoyed working outside in his garden.