John W. Schimmelpfenning (88) of Effingham

John W. Schimmelpfenning, 88, of Effingham, IL, passed away on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2022 at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Burial will be in Arborcrest Memorial Park in Effingham with military rites. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church in Effingham or a local veteran’s organization of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here.

John was born on June 4, 1934 in Manito, Illinois. He married Sue Christine Henricksen on November 22, 1958 in Macomb, Illinois. 

John graduated from Manito Foreman High School in 1952 and from Western Illinois University in 1958. During that time John served in the U.S. Army in the artillery division at Fort Richardson, Alaska from 1954 to 1956. John loved playing and coaching baseball all his life. He played for his high school team and continued playing in the Army and as a Leatherneck for Western Illinois University in Macomb. John was an avid St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan and coached a lot of youth baseball.  

John was a long-time member of the Effingham Rotary Club. He was a board member and then president of the Rotary Club in 1974. In 1975, John was appointed chairman of the citizens committee for Unit 40 to successfully pass the bond referendum for the construction of what was then the Effingham Junior High School as well as an addition to South Side Grade School and updating Edgewood and other schools in Unit 40. John served as the Unit 40 representative to the Lake Land College advisory board and taught business courses at Lake Land and at Effingham High School. He was president of the Effingham High School Booster Club, formerly the Quarterback Club. He coached the Rotary Little Wheels Little League Baseball team and officiated local athletic events.

John frequently helped with the United Way and American Cancer Society drives. John was an active member of the Chamber of Commerce for many years and was a board member for several years. He helped organize the ambassador club to welcome new businesses to Effingham and helped organize and promote the horse-and-buggy rides in downtown Effingham during the holiday season. John was very active in the American Legion Post 120, 40 & 8 and the Veterans Assistance Commission. He has held all the elected offices in Post 120. The Veterans Day 1991 parade commemorating the Veterans Memorial located on the courthouse lawn was chaired by John. He assisted in obtaining funds to purchase this memorial. Likewise, he has chaired parades for the American Legion Post 120. He was also involved with the 1995 Flag Day program which included the proper procedure for retiring unusable flags. John was also active with The Salvation Army and filled many positions for this organization. 

In the summer of 1996 John was Co-Chairman for bringing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall to Effingham. The memorial wall honored not only the Vietnam veterans but any and all veterans of any war that the United States ever encountered. Approximately 65,000 people viewed the 7-day event of the moving wall which included people from 38 States and 6 countries. 

In 1998, John was selected as the Effingham Daily News Citizen of the Year. John had a strong fondness and admiration for this community which led him to volunteer time after time to help and serve others. 

John was a claims adjuster for Pekin Insurance for more than 35 years. John was a member of the Effingham Presbyterian Church for 50 years. He served on the session for many of those years and was clerk of the session.

John is survived by his children, Jim and Scott (Amy); grandchildren, Aaron (Casey), Adam (Amber), Alex (Megan), Justin (Christy), Misty (Kevin), many great-grandchildren; and sisters, Wilma Gascoigne and Hazel (Kenny) Stansbury.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Sue; brothers, Arthur, Max, Frank, Bruce; and sister, Stella Lewis.