Col. Charles Wellman

Col. Charles Walter Wellman Jr., 92, of Streator, passed away Friday, January 12, 2018 at Heritage Healthcare Center in Streator.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM Thursday, January 18, 2018 at Hagi & Baker Funeral Home in Streator with Dr. Rory Christensen, pastor of Central Church of Christ, Streator officiating.  Full military rites will be conducted by the Leslie G. Woods American Legion Post 217 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1492.  Private burial will be in Allen Township Cemetery in Ransom.  Visitation will be 11:00 AM-1:00 PM Thursday at Hagi & Baker Funeral Home.

Col. Wellman was born August 19, 1925 in Ransom to Charles Walter and Edith (Donaldson) Wellman.  He attended Ransom Grade School and was a 1943 graduate of Streator High School.  He attended the University of Illinois, studying pre-law prior to his induction in the U.S. Navy.

Col. Wellman served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater during World War II from 1943-1946.  He served on the staff of Vice Admiral John S. McCain and served aboard three aircraft carriers, the USS Wasp, Hancock and Shangri-La.  He was honorably discharged after the war.  He joined the Army National Guard in 1950 serving at the unit level, in the infantry division and in command staff positions, retiring as Colonel of the Illinois Army National Guard in 1981.  Col. Wellman served as commander of Guard Unit Company B and was custodian of the Streator National Guard Armory from 1956-1961.  He served as Chief of the Armory Branch of the State of Illinois and oversaw all the repair and maintenance of all the armories in the state of Illinois from 1981-1991.  Retiring to Streator, he received the Illinois National Guard Distinguished Medal of Honor.  He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and AMVETS.

Col. Wellman married Shirley Raymond in June 1949.  She passed away in 2003.  He married Winnifred Curtis on August 18, 2007 at the Central Church of Christ in Streator.  He became a Mason in Verona in 1967.  He served as Commander of Knight Templars of Springfield Lodge 6, Ottawa Lodge 10 and Streator Lodge 70 and was Master of Streator Lodge 607 for two years.  He was a member and past president of the Streator Kiwanis Club and was a member of the Streator Elks Lodge.  He was a member of the Central Church of Christ in Streator.

Survivors include his wife, Winnifred; three children, Gary (Valerie) Wellman of Pontiac and Mark (Suzanne) Wellman and Lori (Allan) Sweeden both of Streator; three step-children, Diane (Scott) Cox, Danny (Donna) Curtis and David Curtis; six grandchildren, Heather (Rich Jovanovich) Farrell, Aaron (Becki Salzman) Wellman, Mike (Chasity) Wellman, Chad (Rachael Russow) Sweeden, Stephanie (Jason) Phillips and Amy Wellman-Smith; six step-grandchildren, Brett Curtis, Jennifer Speer, Jessica Gamit, Cory Cox, Curtis Davis and Colton Davis; 12 great-grandchildren; three brothers-in-law, Thomas, Steve and James Register and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Shirley; two grandsons in infancy; his sister, Joann Wellman and two brothers, Spencer and Bruce Wellman.

Pallbearers will be Aaron Wellman, Mike Wellman, Chad Sweeden, Blake Sweeden, Noah Farrell and Spencer Farrell.  Honorary pallbearers will be Scott Cox, Danny Curtis, Steve Register and James Register.