Michael Lee LaMar (67) of St. Elmo

Michael Lee LaMar, Sr., 67, of St. Elmo, has entered eternal life hereafter on February 13, 2025.

A family celebration of life will be held over the Fourth of July weekend. Memorials may be made to Wounded Warriors Project or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Gieseking Funeral Home, Brownstown is assisting the family with arrangements.

Michael was born in East St. Louis, Illinois at Christian Welfare Hospital, the son of Robert Arthur LaMar and Greta Zegreta, nee Endrijaitis. The parental grandparents were Harry Arthur LaMar and Eva Jane, nee Burnett of Nashville, Illinois. The maternal grandparents were Yonus John Endrijaitis and Ona Anna, nee Teniekis, originally from Lithuainia.

Mr. LaMar was raised in Washington Park, Illinois most of his youth and attended Charlas Manners Elementary School, and Landsdowne Jr. High School in District #189 until 9th grade, when in 1972 the family moved to Brownstown, Illinois where he completed the 10th grade. Soon after his 16th birthday, he went back to Washington Park to marry his “soul-mate” Judy Ann, nee Carr, born in Fairmont City, Illinois on April 6th, 1956. They were married in holy matrimony on July 13th, 1973 in the court house in Belleville, Illinois by the honorable Ora Polp, judge. Michael and Judy’s marriage lasted 51.5 years.

Michael and his wife had three children, Michael Lee (Sarah Easley and her daughter, Summer Easley) LaMar, Jr., St. Elmo, Arlene Michelle (Chris) Francica, Lakeland, Florida and Nicholas Allen LaMar, Pana; and four grandchildren; Brandon Michael (significant other, Brittney Niepert and her daughter, Clairica Niepert) LaMar, Ethan Daniel LaMar, and Caleb Scott LaMar, by son Michael Jr. and Heath John Chaney LaMar, by son Nicholas; brothers, Ronald LaMar, Brownstown and Romas LaMar, Missoula, Montana; with honorable mention of great-grandson Dimitrios Xavier, son of Brandon Michael and Brittney; and is also survived by his faithful companion, Little Bit.

Mr. LaMar worked many years for the Pillsbury Company (1973-1992), as an industrial maintenance millwright and then as an industrial electrician, before being “down-sized” in 1992. During his employment, he completed his G.E.D. in 1981 at Belleville Area College, attended Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, Missouri (1985-1991), where he studied industrial building maintenance and industrial electronics and electricity. He received an associates degree in building maintenance and electronics and electricity and bachelors from the U.S. Department of Labor. He was a member of the American Federation of Grain Millers, Local #108, where he served as a Shop Steward and the financial secretary with the union. He then worked for the Purina Mills, Inc. at Vandalia, Illinois for 3 years, (1992-1996), as a maintenance worker. He was a member of the Labors International Union of North America, Local #1048 where he worked before becoming disabled.During Michael and his wives’ marriage, they lived in Washington Park (1973 to 1979), State Park, Collinsville (1979 to 1992), Brownstown (1992 to 2002), and Saint Elmo (2002 until death). Michael was a Christian, baptized on December 29, 1957 at Jerusalem Everlasting Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois. He served in cub scouts as a cub master in Collinsville. He was a member of the Illinois Sherriff’s Association. He was an Alumni member of Ranken Technical College, graduate 1991 and member of Effingham Sportsman’s Club.All things in life, in what he did, he loved music, even when he could no longer hear, played the guitar, the things that he built, as precious as he could, and the love of his grandchildren he could hardly see. But he loved life, farewell.

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