Eric Raymond Manuel, 98, of Peoria, passed away at 9:55 a.m. on Friday, July 6, 2012, at Bel-Wood Nursing Home in Peoria. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at Clary Funeral Home, 3004 West Lake Avenue in Peoria, with the Reverend Dr. Randall Saxon officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the funeral home. Interment will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Eden. Eric was born in Eden on April 18, 1914, the son of Alfred and Edith (Kimzey) Manuel. He married Irene M. Harding on November 23, 1973 in Peoria. She preceded him in death on March 19, 2002. He was also preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Francis Manuel. He was formerly married to Evelyn Grubb, the mother of his children. He is survived by his daughters, Marilyn (Bill) Goetze of Edgewater, FL and Janice (Hank) Garlish of Farmington; son, Mike (Becky) Manuel of Mapleton; sister, Virginia Thomas of Elmwood; stepdaughter, Janey Couillard of Bloomington, IN; stepson, John (Jenny) Harding of Arlington Heights; grandchildren, Todd Goetze, Kathy Donath, Keith Garlish, Kirt Manuel and Dena Manuel Swift; nine great grandchildren; five step great grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. Eric was raised in Eden and was a graduate of Manual High School in Peoria. He was formerly employed as a machinist at Northern Pump Co. in Minneapolis, during World War II. He was also formerly employed at Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria as a machinist and apprentice. He retired from Hyster Lift Trucks in Peoria, as a Tool Designer, in 1979. After his retirement, he was employed for several years with Ace Hardware on Knoxville Avenue in Peoria. He lived life to the fullest and liked to talk about all of the changes he had seen throughout his lifetime. As a young man, he was a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps that was part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, during the 1930’s. Eric was always a tinkerer and well known for his passion for tools. If there was ever a new tool made, he had owned it at sometime in his life. He was a licensed airplane pilot and even started building his own airplane. He was a lifetime member of the Experimental Aircraft Association Illinois Valley Chapter 563 and enjoyed many years of going to Oshkosh with his many EAA friends. Eric’s passion for life was spent camping, boating, carpentry, scuba diving, model airplane building, Go-kart building and racing and going to auctions. He was a member of United Presbyterian Church of Peoria, an active leader of Boy Scouts of America Pack 51 in Hanna City and had a passion to preserve old Pleasant Grove Schoolhouse in Eden, where he and many of his family attended school. He was able to live in his own home to the age of 97, until his health no longer made that possible. He will be missed, but remembered, by keeping the story of the life he lived and the stories he told alive for many generations. Memorial contributions may be made in Eric’s memory to Pleasant Grove Cemetery or United Presbyterian Church of Peoria.
Dad was a talented person, more so than I ever imagined until his accomplishments were all grouped together. He never bragged about his accomplishments but always liked to share them with others. He told me that he had gone without food for three days before he joined CCCorp, President Roosevelts New Deal Program. Then he was fed. Also, he told that he earned 25 cents extra than some men for knowing how to drive a pick up. When we went on trips, he would carry the luggage ontop the car. We camped out one evening, under the stars, and I was awakened by a kitty cat meowing. He let us bring the cat home. He told me that I would stand up behind him in the car and say Faster, Daddy, Faster. It is hard to say good-bye to a parent. He was ready as he had accepted the Lord in 1984 and his body just gave out on him. A chapter in we kids lives has now passed, as we have now given up both our Mother and Father to our Heavenly Father.
Janice/daughter
| Becky Manuel |
Daughter-in-law |
July 9, 2012 |
Our family will talk about and retell stories from and about Eric for years to come. Our granddaughters would always listen in awe at the dinner table when he would talk about the times and changes throughout his life. We've had good times and bad times througout the years and all are a part of what makes life so interesting.
He lived life to the fullest and once told me that one thing he would have liked to have done that he didn't was take a trip to Alaska. I wish he had been able to. He also said to Mike and I, "Do it while you can because there comes the day when you can't." This struck me as so true. I tell my kids the same because it may happen sooner than we think. I will miss him much. Thanks for the memories.
| Marilyn Manuel Goetze/daughter |
Memories |
July 8, 2012 |
It's always hard to say good-bye, but a few months ago I made a special trip to Peoria to see Dad in the hospital.
The memories are many and one that stands out was the family camping trip, along with cousin Judy to Mackinac MI., we had lots of laughs on the trip. Other great memories were Bill and Dads Go-Kart racing in the backyard.
