Lyle Franklin Laslie

Dateline: Godfrey Lyle Franklin Laslie went home to be with Jesus at 2 p.m. on November 21, 2017. He was born on December 17, 1925 in Alton, Illinois to Allen and Bessie Eva (Emery) Laslie, the fifth of eight children. He married the love of his life, Patricia Ann Kasinger, on June 3, 1950 at the Church of God on Elm Street in Alton. They were married for 67 years until her death on August 5, 2017. He went to school in Alton and worked on farms to help support his mother and siblings. During WWII, he served honorably in the Black Panthers of the 66th division as an artillery operator in England, France, Germany, and Austria from April 1944 to June 1946. After service, he worked at Luer Brothers meat packing, Alton Brickyard, then began building houses, as his father had. He was a master stone mason, bricklayer, carpenter, and all other skills in construction, building over 100 houses, mostly in Jersey County. He loved hunting, bass fishing, and mushroom hunting. He was a wonderful joke and storyteller, loved gardening and shared the bounty with friends and neighbors. He loved poetry, music, and was an avid reader. He was always ready to help anyone, and was fair and honest in his business dealings, making agreements with a handshake. He was a wonderful and much loved husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather. Lyle is survived by his sister Nancy Paul, daughter Deborah Laslie Millitello and son-in-law Carl Millitello, son Lyle Dennis Laslie and daughter-in-law Kathy Moore, daughter Diane Laslie Miller and Jay Wrubel, daughter Donna Laslie Hook and son-in-law Mark Hook, daughter Lonna Laslie Clark and son-in-law Jimmy Clark, grandchildren Patricia Condray, Daniel Millitello, Benjamin Millitello, Melissa Kuehnel, Dustin Greer, Travis Clark, Tara Clark, Eric Spencer Maxon, Hunter Hook, Chase Hook, Amber Wells, 8 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren, sister-in-law Nancy Hyman and brother-in-law Roy Hyman, sister-in-law Wanda Kasinger, sister-in-law Dorothy Kasinger, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Patricia, his parents, sister and brother-in-law Vivian and Charles Vaughn, sister Margaret Turner, sister and brother-in-law Mildred and Floyd Crider, brother and sister-in-law John and Della Laslie, brother and sister-in-law William and Louise Laslie, sister Patricia Davis, sister-in-law Betty Scott and brother-in-law Edward Scott, sister-in-law Beverly Kelly, brother-in-law Harold Glenn Kasinger, brother-in-law John Olin Kasinger, sister-in-law Sharon Ray and brother-in-law Wayne Ray, and 3 nephews. Visitation will be from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, November 24, 2017 at Gent Funeral Home in Alton where funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 25, 2017. Reverend Chris Schalenberger will officiate. Burial will be at Valhalla Memorial Park in Godfrey with full military honors by the VFW Post 1308. Memorials may be made to Fisher House at Jefferson Barracks VA Hospital, Veterans Affairs, or the Diabetes Association. Online guestbook and information may be found at www.gentfuneralhome.com

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Lyle Franklin Laslie

December 17, 1925 - November 21, 2017