James Sherrick 1918-2011

Judge James N. Sherrick of Villa Grove passed away on June 20, 2011, at Meadowbrook Health Center in Urbana.

He was born on April 13, 1918, the sixth child of Noah and Josephine (Gabel) Sherrick, in South Greenup Township, Ill.

He married Phyllis Vines on Dec. 21, 1947. She died in August 1966. He then married Frances Linafelter on Nov. 28, 1981.

He is survived by his loving wife, Frances; his three children, Elizabeth (Robert) Roman of Pinehurst, N.C., John (Mindy) Sherrick of Mansfield and Richard (Susan) Sherrick of Albion; one stepson, Steve (Shirley) Bradbury of Tuscola; six grandchildren; four stepgrandchildren; three great-grandchildren; five step-great-grandchildren; and one sister, Edna Bradley of Carbondale.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Connie, Ralph and William, and three sisters, Lena, Mary and Betty.

Mr. Sherrick was a captain in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a POW and received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart and the Silver Star.

He was a teacher and a lawyer before serving as Douglas County judge from 1954 to 1958. He served as circuit judge in the Sixth Judicial District from 1968 to 1984.

He was a member of the Villa Grove United Methodist Church, where he served in many capacities, as well as the Tuscola and Villa Grove Rotary Clubs, the Villa Grove Lions Club, Walter Jones VFW Post 2876, the Moose Lodge, Tuscola American Legion, the Tri-City Country Club, the Douglas County Bar Association and other service clubs and organizations.

Memorials may be made to the Villa Grove United Methodist Church, the ALS Association or to the American Diabetes Association.