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Archived July 20, 2005

MOUNT PULASKI -- Harry W. Van Hook, 89, of Mount Pulaski died Monday, July 18, 2005, at 9:50 p.m. at his home.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Mount Pulaski.

His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John"s Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Frank Pieper and Bill Shanle officiating.

Burial will be in Mount Pulaski Cemetery.

Mr. Van Hook was postmaster in Mount Pulaski for 24 years and a blacksmith at

W.F. Binder-Wagon and Blacksmith Shop for 16 years.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1946.

He was born May 10, 1916, in Lincoln to Forest C. and Marie Miller Van Hook. He married Barbara Barnes in Tullahomo, Tenn., on June 6, 1941.

He is survived by his wife, of Mount Pulaski; two daughters, JoAnn (and Richard) Milligan of Riverside, Calif., and Mary Ann Van Hook of Chicago; one son, Robert (and Linda) Van Hook of Warrensburg; six grandchildren, Michael Van Hook, Lisa Van Hook, Chris Milligan, Joy Milligan, Tarik Van Hook Den Den and Sharif Van Hook Den Den; and two great-grandchildren, Nicole Cooper and Christian J. Milligan.

Three sisters preceded him in death.

He was a member of St. John"s Lutheran Church in Mount Pulaski, taught adult Sunday school for 15 years and was president of the church council when new pews and oak flooring were installed.

He served on the Mount Pulaski City Council and was chairman of the sewerage and waterworks committee when the sewer system was installed and a three-mile pipeline and new wells were put in from Salt Creek. He was police magistrate for two years.

He was president of the grade school board when the new gym and classrooms were built.

He was an active member of the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department for 37 years and was the secretary-treasurer for 35 years.

He was also on the Mount Pulaski Cemetery board for many years.

He graduated from Mount Pulaski High School in 1934 and was a graduate of the University of Illinois.

Memorials may be made to Hospice Care of Illinois or St. John"s Lutheran Church.

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