Kolten Lee Gasper (23) of Effingham

Kolten Lee Gasper, 23, of Effingham, IL, passed away on Friday, November 4, 2016 at his home.    

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am. Thursday, November 10 at Johnson Funeral Home, 1110 N. Fourth Street, Effingham. Burial will be in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Effingham. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Johnson Funeral Home. Memorials may be made in loving memory of Kolten to his daughter, Lillian Jo Catherine Gasper for her education fund.

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Kolten was born on April 8, 1993, in Effingham, IL, the son of Kevin Gasper and Amy Martin. He graduated from Effingham High School in the Class of 2011. He enjoyed competitive wrestling and playing football while he was in school. During high school, he also spent many hours volunteering at the Effingham County Humane Society and with his aunt's Apple Basket Food Pantry. No matter how busy he was, he was always available to assist her with unloading the trucks, fund-raising, or any other task that needed to be done. Kolten furthered his education at Frontier Community College in Fairfield and graduated from the “lineman” program in May 2014. He attained high academic honors every semester. More than anything, Kolten loved his 2-year-old daughter, Lillian “Lilly bug”. They were inseparable and she was his pride and joy. He cherished the times he spent teaching her how to fish and taking her to the parks and the zoo. Kolten enjoyed fishing and hunting and the solitude of being outdoors. He loved to share those experiences with friends and family, especially teaching the younger children all the skills that his father and grandfathers had taught him. Kolten worked as a cook at Ruby Tuesday's until they closed earlier this year. He also worked as a brick mason.

Kolten is survived by his daughter, Lillian Jo Catherine Gasper of Effingham; fiancée, Danielle Wagner of Effingham; mother, Amy Martin (Todd Hewing) of Greenup; father, Kevin Gasper of Effingham; maternal grandparents, Charles and Lynn Martin of Dieterich; paternal grandmother, Jackie Morgan of Effingham; paternal great-grandmother, Dorothy Barnes of Effingham; sister, Kyla Schreier of Greenup; brother, Allen Martin of Dieterich; aunt, Charlene Nelson of Effingham; uncles, Ross (Jayme) Martin of Dieterich, Gordon (Laura) Martin of Effingham, and Charlie “Bill” (Amy) Martin of Dieterich.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Loren Morgan; and paternal great-grandfather Jack “Jim” Barnes.

The family requests casual dress.