Skip to content

Dean Jennings, 78, St. Elmo

Dean Jennings, 78, of St. Elmo, died on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Kessel Funeral Home in St. Elmo. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery, St. Elmo. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials: Kaskaskia Church in rural Beecher City or St. Elmo Tree Committee, c/o Fayette County Bank in St. Elmo.

Mr. Jennings was born on Nov. 16, 1929, in Loudon Township, Fayette County, the son of Dewey R. and Ada May Wright Jennings. He married Arlene Algood on Oct. 20, 1948, in Paducah, Ky.; she died on Feb. 22, 2004.

He retired from working in the oil fields in 1991; throughout his career, he worked for Cummins & Claypool Drilling Co., Lucky’s Well Service and Petco Petroleum Corp. He was also a farmer, retiring in the late 1970s. He was a gun enthusiast, and he enjoyed the outdoors, plants and trees.

He is survived by sons, Danny Jennings of Marion, Larry Jennings and his wife Susan of rural Vandalia, and Dave Jennings and his wife Bev of St. Elmo; grandsons, Bryan Jennings and his wife Mandy, Aaron Jennings and his wife Timmerle, Curt Jennings, Clayton Jennings and Chris Jennings, all of St. Elmo; great-grandchildren, Blaine, Cole and Samantha Jennings, all of St. Elmo; sisters, Wilda Arlene and her husband Charles Niehaus of Effingham, and Delva and her husband Frank Krost of St. Elmo; sisters-in-law, Kate Jennings of Beecher City and Ruth Jennings of Effingham; half brothers, Ronnie Jennings and his wife Jan of Mason City, Iowa, Johnny “Red” Jennings and his wife Sharon of Louisville, Ky., and Vic Jennings and his wife Missy of Mahomet; half sisters, Linda and her husband Danny Barker of Brownstown, and Joyce and her husband Jimmy Rogers of St. Elmo; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; and brothers, Wilbert “Wilkie” Jennings and Leonard “Butch” Jennings.

Leave a Comment