James A. DeSmit

KEWANEE - James A. DeSmit, 82, of Kewanee, died at 11:10 p.m., Saturday, June 25, 2016 at Kewanee Care Nursing Home.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, July 7 at Visitation Church, St. John Paul II Parish in Kewanee. Celebrant will be Fr. Johndamaseni Zilimu. Inurnment will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery where military rites will be accorded by the Kewanee Veterans Council. Memorials may be directed to the Visitation Church, St. John Paul II Parish. Rux Funeral Home in Kewanee is in charge of arrangements.

He was born on August 13, 1933 in Kewanee, the son of Joseph and Effie (Roose) DeSmit. He married Donna Mahaffey on October 2, 1954 in Kewanee. She survives as well as seven sons, Kenneth (JoAnn) DeSmit of Kewanee, Douglas (Sue) DeSmit of Greenwood, IN, Peter (Liz) DeSmit, of Bridgewater, VA, Matthew (Shana) DeSmit of Nashville, TN, John (Theresa) DeSmit of  Fulton, MO, Thomas (Daina) DeSmit, of Wichita, KS, David (Teressa) DeSmit of Columbia, MO, two daughters, Cathie (Douglas) Jenkins of  Lacon, IL and Debbie (Rich) Lasky of Cape Girardeau, MO, twenty-five grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, Albert, Ed, Joe, Lawrence and Robert, three sisters, Irene Carlson, Leona Ours and Evelyn Henderson.

He graduated from Wethersfield High School. He was a Korean War Veteran serving with the United States Marine Corps. He worked at Taylor and Son in Kewanee as the parts manager until his retirement in 2000. He was a member of St. John Paul II Parish, Visitation Church, the Moose Lodge and the VFW. He enjoyed his family, friends and gardening.

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