Orris Mosby

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Orris L. Mosby, 85, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, at his farm on Old Cape Road in Jonesboro.

Orris was born April 19, 1933, in Alexander County, Illinois, the son of Orris and Blanche Meisenheimer Mosby.

Orris was a 1951 graduate of Wolf Lake High School and attended Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, before enlisting with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged from the USAF as a staff sergeant and returned home to Jonesboro, where he and his father formed the Mosby Farms partnership.

He was also the owner/operator of Mosby Locker Service in Dongola, Illinois, before selling that business to Home Meat Processors. Orris continued farming until 1995.

He served on many agricultural boards and committees, both locally and statewide. He was an avid traveler, who was a full-time RVer for many years, traveling throughout the United States and Canada.

As his health began to fail in 2016, he moved into the Anna (Illinois) Veterans Home. In that year, one of his proudest moments was participating in the Veterans Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C.

Recently, he could still be found working on the Jonesboro family farm. He also greatly enjoyed attending church services at Kornthal Church and participated with all work days to maintain and preserve the historic Kornthal Cemetery.

Orris is survived by two sons, Bruce (Cindy) Mosby and Mark Mosby, both of Jonesboro; a daughter, Sue Mosby Little and family of St. Louis; two grandsons, Brandon Mosby of Huntsville, Alabama, and Matthew Chumbler of Carbondale; a granddaughter, Katie Mosby of Huntsville; and his former wife, Joan Mowery of Jonesboro. He is also survived by numerous cousins and friends.

Orris was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Donna Mosby.

Friends may call from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro.

Funeral will be at 2 p.m., Sunday at the funeral home, with Bill Littrell officiating. Interment will be in the Jonesboro Cemetery. Graveside military rites will be conducted by Carroll P. Foster Post 3455 of Veterans of Foreign Wars in Anna and Scott Air Force Base Military Honor Team.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Veterans Home Activity Fund, Southern Illinois Veterans Honor Flight or Kornthal Cemetery. Envelopes will be available in the funeral home.

To view the obituary and leave online condolences for the family, visit rendlemanhilemanfh.com.