Cecil Logan

Cecil Coy Logan, age 78, of Carmi, passed away Saturday, May 4, 2013, at his home. His loving and devoted wife, Shirley, was at his side. He is free, and whole and with his Savior.

Cecil was born October 8, 1934 on his family’s farm in Pickett County, Tennessee. His parents were James Coy and Dona (Ruble) Logan. They relocated to White County, Illinois when Cecil was only one year old.

After completing school in Carmi and helping manage the family farm and with the encouragement of H. Phil Pearce, Cecil enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1955. Only two years later he elected to go on active duty. He served at Camp LeJuene and New River Air Station during his two years of active duty. He retired from the Marine Corps as a Master Sergeant.

Cecil started in the insurance business at the end of 1962. He purchased his own agency in 1965 which would become the Logan Insurance Agency, located in the Rice Building. He retired and sold the agency at the end of 2001.

Cecil met his future wife, Shirley Smith, when Willard and Helen Jean Sturm invited them both to dinner with neither knowing the other was coming. Shirley remembers him always arriving to pick her up wearing a hat, well-ironed shirt and tie. She was smitten. They were married in the Crossville Missionary Baptist Church in Crossville, Illinois on September 19, 1964 and made Carmi their home. They loved each other deeply during their almost 49-year marriage. They even survived working together for twenty years.

His family, who cared for him during his battle with Alzheimer’s and survives, includes his wife, Shirley; a son, Clint Logan of Evansville; a daughter and son-in-law, Valarie of Carmi and Giorgi Berekashvili of Roswell, Georgia; and a grandson, Gia Berekashvili of Carmi. Also surviving is a beloved nephew, Randy Warrick of Crossville, Illinois.

He is preceded in death by his parents; a sister and brother-in-law, Clarice and Charles Warrick; a brother, Cletus Logan; a niece, Joy Warrick ; and a nephew, Larry Logan.

Cecil was cared for by many special people during his illness. His family will forever be grateful to the following for their love and gentleness with Cecil over the years: R.L. Turner, Amber Newman, Lorna Seibers and Paula Bailey. The VA nurses, Angie Parker and Sherry Whitler, and the rest of the VA in-home care team were stellar. In his final days, Cecil was cared for by VNA Plus Hospice whose sensitivity and expertise was a comfort.

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am, Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at Stendeback Family Funeral Home in Carmi. His nephew, Randy Warrick, will officiate. Visitation will be held Tuesday, May 7, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in the funeral home chapel. Burial will take place in North Maple Ridge Cemetery. Military burial rites will be provided by the American Legion and VFW Posts of Carmi. Condolences may be left at http://www.stendebackfamilyfuneralhome.com/.