Ronald E. Stines

Ronald E. Stines, age 75, of Hanover, Illinois, died peacefully Saturday, June 16, 2007 at the Big Meadows Nursing Home in Savanna, Illinois, after a long courageous battle with Alzheimer’s. A Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at the Law-Jones Funeral Home in Hanover, Illinois. Military Rites will be accorded by the 4th Maintenance Battalion from the Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, Illinois at the Veteran’s Memorial in Hanover following the service at the funeral home. A Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at the funeral home in Hanover. A memorial fund has been established in Ronald’s memory.
Ron was born on March 20, 1932 in Kimball, Nebraska, one of eleven children and the son of Evan and Ethel (Davis) Stines. He graduated from the Potter High School in Potter, Nebraska in 1951 and soon thereafter, began a distinguished military career, which would span the next 37 years. Beginning with the Marine Corp and after serving three years in the Korean Conflict, Ron earned the United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Good Conduct Medal, and the Korean Service Medal; he was also a Qualified Expert Marksman.
Upon his Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corp, Ron and Naomi Elizabeth Shabram were united in marriage on July 29, 1955 in the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Sidney, Nebraska. His career with the military continued as a QUASAS (Quality Assurance Specialist) at the Sioux Ordnance Depot in Sidney, followed by work assignments as an Ammunition Specialist and a civil servant for the U.S. Department of Army. Throughout the next 34 years, Ron’s responsibilities included various classified and non classified duties including tours at the Pueblo Army Depot; Pueblo, Colorado, Black Hills Army Depot; Igloo, South Dakota, Hawthorne, Nevada, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Curundu, Canal Zone-Panama, Kirminsha, Iran and Darmstadt, Germany as well as temporary duty in Saigon, Vietnam, Bogota, Columbia and Berlin, West Germany. Ron earned additional recognition medals awarded by the Department of the Army; Meritorious Civilian Service and Commander Award for Civilian Service. He retired as Chief of the Ammunition School at the Savanna Army Depot in Savanna, Illinois in 1989.
Ron enjoyed playing, coaching and watching athletic sports of all kinds. Listening to music and singing were also some of his favorite pastimes. He was an avid Nebraska Husker’s fan, and after retirement, enjoyed gardening, wood working and spending time with family and grandchildren. Ron was a man of integrity and character and will be missed by family and friends. He was a member of Kiwanis, American Legion, 32nd Degree Mason with the Ancon Lodge and Scottish Rite while in Balboa, Panama.
Surviving are his wife, Naomi; three daughters, Elizabeth (Wayne) Schaible of Warrenville, Illinois, Teresa (Andy Miller) Schaible of Hanover, and Wendy (Gary Wegmann) Gillies of Earlville, Iowa; two sons, Ron (Kathy) Stines of Hanover and Sean Stines of Hanover; eleven grandchildren, Katelyn and Olivia Schaible of Wheaton, Illinois, Wayne Schaible of Chicago, Illinois, Jeremy (Mary Beth Skogman) Schaible of Davenport, Iowa, Adam Gillies of Bettendorf, Iowa, Alison (Kevin Knepper) Gillies of Dubuque, Iowa, Ashley (Jason) Breitbach of Dubuque, Iowa, Caleb, Allina and Kheegan Stines, all of Hanover and Cheyenne Stines of Freeport, Illinois; two great-grandchildren, Zachary Gillies and Caydence Breitbach; three sisters, Maxine Hays of Turpin, Oklahoma, Doris Thomas of Sidney, and Merle Morrison of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Ron was preceded in death by his parents; five sisters, Jean, Ruth, Lynn, Helen and Lillian; two brothers, Maynard and Kenney.

The family would like to take this opportunity to thank the Summit Staff at Finley Hospital in Dubuque, along with the staff at Big Meadows Nursing Home and especially Genesis Hospice of Clinton, Iowa