Forrest E. "Frog" Newkirk (75) of Newton

Forrest E. “Frog” Newkirk age 75 of Newton passed away Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, Illinois.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, August 28 at the Crain Funeral Home, Newton, Illinois with Bro. Larry Matson officiating. Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Saturday at the Crain Funeral Home, Newton. Burial will be in the Hunt Cemetery, rural Rose Hill, Illinois.

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Forrest was born on June 27, 1941 in Jasper County, Illinois the son of Frank and Irene (Richards) Newkirk. On July 1, 1966, Forrest married Linda D. Andrews in Willow Hill, Illinois. They celebrated fifty years of marriage this year. Forrest spent his life as a livestock and grain farmer. In addition to farming, he retired from Jesse B. Holt in Newton where he was the pole barn foreman. His memberships include the N.R.A. and the Jasper County Farm Bureau. Spending time in the outdoors was a favorite pastime for Forrest. He enjoyed hunting, riding four wheelers, and raising cattle. He loved NASCAR and working on stock cars. He also enjoyed watching RFD-TV.

He will be loved and remembered by his wife Linda Newkirk of Newton, daughter Pam Balding, husband Brett of Whitehouse, TN; sons Doug Newkirk, fiancé Chad Crain of Newton and Ronnie Newkirk of Yale, IL; daughter-in-law Dawnda Nichols of Newton; grandsons Austin Balding (Olivia) of Hendersonville, TN and Nicholas Newkirk of Newton; granddaughter Emily Balding of Whitehouse, TN; brothers, Homer Newkirk of Hustonville, IL and Vernon Newkirk of Newton, IL; sisters, Marilyn Mitchell of Newton, Mary Butler of Hidalgo, IL; Carolyn Zuber of Newton, Virginia Butler of Newton, and Barbara McMillianof Tuscola, IL; several nieces and nephews.

His son Randy Newkirk, parents Frank and Irene Newkirk, brother Clarence Newkirk, and brothers-in-law Gene Mitchell, Jack Butler, Lawrence Zuber, and Raymond Butler preceded him in death.