John Earle Long's Obituary
John Earle Long, 86, of Charleston, Illinois passed away Friday, September 30th, 2022, at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon, Illinois. John Earle was born December 16th, 1935, in Morgan Township, Illinois, the son of Earl and Ruth "Bobbie" (Barnett) Long. He married Lucy Ann Williamson on December 27th, 1961, in Charleston, Illinois. They were married for 55 wonderful years. Lucy preceded him in death on December 29th, 2016. John Earle is survived by two sons, John Earle Jr. (Hillary) Long of Red Rock, Texas and James Eric "Jim" (Belle) Long of Charleston; and four granddaughters, Raelynn, Lyla, Ellie, and Lilly Long. He was preceded in death by his parents.
John Earle graduated from Charleston High School, the class of 1954. After attending Southern Illinois University and the University of Illinois he came back home to farm. He was member of the Presbyterian Church of Rardin, the Masons, the Shriners, the Coles County Farm Bureau, the Coles County Fair Association, the American Angus Association, the United States Trotting Association and was the trustee for the Seven Hickory- Morgan Township Fire Department.
John Earle did many different things. He worked for the Carnation Company in the genetics department, instructing beef breeders about artificial insemination. This led him to import a new breed of cattle from Holland to the United States. He also attended auctioneer school, managed the Rardin grain elevator, and sold seed corn for various companies. Many people remembered John Earle for his time baling hay. Both John Earle and his wife were well known for leading their local 4-H club. Later in life, John Earle raised, trained, and raced standardbred racehorses, all while running the family farm.
John Earle enjoyed traveling and watching harness racing. Most importantly, he adored spending time with his family and being home on the family farm. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Visit www.adamsfuneralchapel.com to leave condolences. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, October 5th, 2022, at 3:00 PM at Adams Funeral Chapel in Charleston, Illinois. A visitation will be held from 2:00 PM until time of service at the chapel. Memorials in his honor may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis and left at the visitation/service or mailed to Adams Funeral Chapel, 2330 Shawnee Drive, Charleston, IL, 61920.
Click here to view Family Tribute Video.
What’s your fondest memory of John?
What’s a lesson you learned from John?
Share a story where John's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with John you’ll never forget.
How did John make you smile?