Larry Lovell

ANNA, Ill. -- Larry Calvin Lovell, 75, of Anna passed away Saturday morning, March 4, 2023, at his home.

He was born Oct. 25, 1947, to Jasper Calvin and Georgia Charlotte Lamb Lovell in Cape Girardeau. On Sept. 5, 1970, he married Diane Kluesner of Chaffee, Missouri.

Larry worked for 40 years at Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative in Dongola, Illinois, serving the last 23 years as executive vice president/general manager.

In 1975, Larry received a bachelor's degree with a major in mathematics and minor in business administration from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

He served on several boards of directors, including Southern Illinois Power Cooperative in Marion, Illinois; United Utility Supply Cooperative in Louisville, Kentucky; ACES Power Marketing in Indianapolis; and Union County Hospital in Anna. His miscellaneous endeavors included NRECA/CFC Joint Member Task Force on Rural Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in Washington, D.C., from February 1994 through February 1995. In 2001, the Illinois Cooperative Council presented him with the Cooperative Management Award.

Larry was particularly proud of being instrumental in the formation of SouthWater Inc., a regional not-for-profit water system at Dongola. Another project Larry was honored to be a part of was his role as chairman of Union County District, in which he and others successfully negotiated a lease with Community Health System (CHS) from Franklin, Tennessee. The lease allowed Union County Hospital District to retain ownership of the hospital, pocket more than $3 million and provide for CHS to upgrade hospital infrastructure. The citizens of Anna were able to keep a quality hospital when other small community hospitals were struggling. The best part was that the hospital district was able to stop taxing Anna residents, saving taxpayers money each year.

Larry was an active member of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Anna. He was a member of the parish council, a trustee and longtime chairman of the finance committee. Larry was honored that God allowed him to be an active volunteer for the church.

He loved the many get-togethers with his family, especially the Sunday dinners with his children, grandchildren and great-grandson. The many family trips and the trips with friends were also very special and memorable to him. He always had the best of times. All of his grandchildren and great-grandson were the highlights of his life, and he enjoyed every minute with them.

Larry also enjoyed fishing with his family and playing golf with friends. He will be truly missed by his family and so many other people. The light is dimmer here today and brighter where he has gone, but his memories and his wisdom will be with us forever.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Diane Lovell; daughter, Alysia (Jay) Kaufman; son, Jason Lovell; grandchildren, Cameron Lovell, Lydia (Trent) Grider, Alexandria Lovell, Caleb Kaufman and Nathan Kaufman; great-grandchild, Carter Andrew Grider; brother, Dennis (Valerie) Lovell of Greenville, Texas; sister, Janis (Ronnie) Burford of Benton, Missouri; brother-in-law, A.J. (Betty) Kluesner of Cape Girardeau; sisters-in-law, Flora Brucker of New Hamburg, Missouri, Clairene Priest of Cape Girardeau and Helen Kluesner of Scott City; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 10, at Crain Funeral Home in Anna and from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 11, at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Anna. The Rev. Uriel Salamanca will lead the rosary at 7 p.m. Friday, March 10, at Crain Funeral Home.

Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 11, at St. Mary Church, with the Rev. Salamanca officiating. Entombment will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at Lindsey Cemetery just east of McClure, Illinois.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests with gratitude that memorials be made to American Heart Association, St. Mary Church or Lindsey Cemetery. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.