Vernell A. Elder

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Vernell A. Elder, 88, N. Ft. Myers, Fla., died Friday, Oct. 1, 2010.

He was born in Eldorado in 1922 to the late Earl and Zoa (Alvery) Elder. He served his country honorably during World War II with the U.S. Navy. Vernell married Dorothy Anderson in 1948, who preceded him in death in 1987.

He retired from Reynolds Aluminum in McCook after 37 years of service. He moved to N. Ft. Myers in 1981, where he was a member of North Side Baptist Church.

His family includes his sons, Earl (Cheri) Elder of Atlanta, Texas, Steven (Laura) Elder of Cape Coral, Fla., Gregory Elder of Avon Park, Fla. and Gary Elder of Shinglehouse, Pa.; one daughter, Donna (Wayne) Kelm of Lexington, Ohio; two sisters, Iona (Robert) McCoy of Eldorado and Naomi (Don) Mathis of Stonefort; two brothers, William Elder of Springfield and Donald Elder of Pevely, Mo.; eight grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Services were held on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, at the Toons Funeral Home in Downers Grove. Officiating was the Rev. Douglas Hawkins.

Burial was at the Clarendon Hills Cemetery at Darion.