Lawrence R. McCloy (91) of Mason

Lawrence R. McCloy of rural Mason, 91, was born on Saturday, March 1, 1930, and went to his heavenly home on Friday, September 17, 2021.

Services will be at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, September 23, 2021, at Gieseking Funeral Home, Altamont, Illinois, with Rev. Ed Wojnar officiating. Burial with graveside Masonic Rites offered by Edgewood Masonic Lodge #484 will follow at Union Cemetery, Altamont. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until service time. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, FISH, or the donor’s choice. CDC and IDPH guidelines with regard to COVID-19 must be followed. This includes, but is not limited to, face covering and social distancing.

Lawrence had roots extending from Cushendall, Northern Ireland, from where his family ventured to America’s heartland and broke ground on the family farm in West Township of Effingham County in the 1860’s. Lawrence was the youngest of three children born of the marriage of Clarence McCloy and Carrie Millington. He was born in the family farmhouse, where he lived the entirety of his life.

Lawrence married the love of his life, Lucille Verdeyen, in 1951. Their marriage of 70 years bore four children: Glenda (Robert) Ploeger of Buncombe County, NC, Marilyn (David) Sutterfield of Effingham, Dale (Teresa) McCloy of Mason, and Amy (Brian) Hickox of Evergreen, CO. He had seven grandchildren (Jason Gum, Daren Gum, Kevin Schneider, Keith Sutterfield, Eric McCloy, Anneke McCloy, and Taylor Hickox) and four great grandchildren (Trent Gum; and Conall, Cormac, and Camden Schneider), all of whom cherished him and he them.

His brother, Clarence, Jr., sister, Alice Lowrance, and grandson, Eric McCloy, preceded him in death.

Lawrence was a retired farmer, an insurance agent and broker, serving the needs of rural families. He was a lifetime member of Asbury United Methodist Church, where he served in many capacities. He was a Past Master of the Edgewood Masonic Lodge #484, a member of the Edgewood Order of the Eastern Star #787, and a member of the National Farmers Union. He had served as a trustee for West Township for 32 years, as a farmer-elected committee member of the ACSC (Farm Service Agency), a committee member of the Illinois Association of Farmer Elected Committeemen (IAFEC), where he served as secretary, treasurer, and president, the Altamont School Advisory Board, and the Altamont PTA, of which he served a term as president.

Throughout his life, the farmhouse underwent many transformations, and the farm grew in size and productivity. But Lawrence's core remained steadfast -- a pious man of the land, and devoted father and patriarch of the McCloy family. His work on the farm, with his son by his side, was nourishment for his soul. With a smile on his face and an extended right hand, Lawrence was an instant friend to all he met. Lawrence and Lucille traveled to all 50 states and 11 countries, always thankful for the wondrous works of God and the warm and generous people they met. His last vision of our world was the bounty of crops God had bestowed on the land, a source of his everlasting joy.

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