Joseph Thomas Vancil
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Joseph Thomas "Red" Vancil, 83, of Du Quoin, passed away at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 at the Marshall Browning Hospital in Du Quoin.
Joe was a retired welder and pipefitter. Joe attended grade school in De Soto and graduated from the Sparta High School in 1945. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Du Quoin since 1957. He was a member of the Du Quoin American Legion and a Life Member of the Du Quoin VFW. He was a US Army/AirForce veteran of W.W.II serving as a finance clerk in Italy with the 529th Air Service Group.
He was the last living survivor of the Centralia No. 5 Mine Disaster of March 25, 1947. On that date he was 20 years old and the youngest among the survivors. His father, Joe H. Vancil, and an uncle, Desmond "Dude" Vancil, both natives of Du Quoin, worked at Centralia No. 5 and died in the explosion. On Palm Sunday, March 23, 1997, almost 50 years to the date after the mine disaster, Joe Vancil returned to Centralia for a memorial service to commemorate the tragedy and to praise his fellow workers at No. 5.
He was born February 7, 1927, at Herrin, the son of Joe Henry and Carrie (Warren) Vancil.
He married Emma Jean Falkenheim on November 20, 1948 at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sparta, Illinois and she survives. On their fiftieth wedding anniversary they celebrated by taking all of their children and grandchildren to Hot Springs, Arkansas for a vacation where Joe and Jean spent their honeymoon.
He is survived by his wife of Du Quoin, two daughters-Kathy Vancil and husband, Ed Rollberg, of Cordova, Tennessee, and Carol Jean Vancil of Cordova, Tennessee, one son-Steven Joseph Vancil and wife Marjorie of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, three grandchildren-Sara Rollberg of Cordova, Tennessee, Angela Novak and husband Sean of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Aaron "A.J." Vancil of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and two great grandsons-Patrick and Asher Novak.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two half sisters-Wilma and Virginia and a half brother-Burton.
Memorial services were held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church at Du Quoin with Rev. Tim Scroggins officiating.
Friends called from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at the church on Tuesday.
Burial was in the Sunset Memorial Park at Du Quoin.
Military graveside rites were conducted by the Du Quoin VFW and American Legion.
Friends may make memorials to the First Presbyterian Church of Du Quoin and will be accepted at the funeral home.
Searby Funeral Home in Du Quoin was in charge of arrangements.
For additional information or to sign the memorial guest register, please visit www.searbyfuneralhomes.com.