Greg enlisted in the US Army during the Vietnam War. His rank was Specialist Fourth Class. He may have been stationed in Texas after the war. That is where he married Judy and their first child was born.
Gregory Alan Wakenight
Born: 31 OCT 1946 in Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois
Father: Leroy A Wakenight (1911 to 1989)
Mother: Ruby M Messenger (1916 to 2016)
Spouse: Judith Kathleen Butcher (1953 to 2018)
Married: 24 Mar 1977 in Brazos County, Texas
Children:
Galan V Wakenight (1984 Unknown/Still Living)
Ryan L Wakenight (1987 Unknown/Still Living)
Died: 14 AUG 2004 in Polo, Ogle County, Illinois
Burial: Fairmount Cemetery
Obituary:
Timeline:
1962 Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois
1977 Marriage to Judith
1984 Birth of son, Galen
1987 Birth of son, Ryan
1988 Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois
1989 Death of father, Leroy
2004 Death and burial
Occupation: unknown
Records:
U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012
Texas, Marriage Index, 1824-2014
U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1
The U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Social Security Death Index
United States Obituary Collection
U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Variations of Surname: None
Spouse:
Judith Kathleen Butcher:
Judy was born on 23 MAR 1953 in Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois. She died on 15 MAR 2018 in Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois.
Judy’s father was Vergil Gleason Butcher. He was born on 10 JAN 1920 in Earlville, La Salle County, Illinois. He died on 3 DEC 1994 in Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois.
Judy’s mother was Eloise K Johnson. She was born on 13 MAY 1918 in Rockvale, Ogle County, Illinois. She died on 6 DEC 2009 in Polo, Ogle County, Illinois.
Judy’s Obituary:
Polo – Judith K. Wakenight, 64, of Polo, passed away Thursday, March 15, 2018, at Serenity Hospice and Home in Oregon.
Judith was born March 21, 1953, in Oregon, the daughter of Vergil and Eloise (Johnson) Butcher. Judi was united in marriage to Gregory A. Wakenight. Judi resided in the Pine Creek area her entire life. She was a member of the Polo Open Bible Church and enjoyed sewing and crocheting. Judi was a very proud grandma and mother.
Survivors include sons Galan (Bridget Blakeslee) Wakenight of Polo, Ryan (Morgan) Wakenight both of Polo; uncle Vonard “Dutch” (Joan) Johnson of Oregon; grandchildren Alexandria Taylor, Isis, and Asher Wakenight; and numerous cousins
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Greg.
A memorial service will be 4:00 PM, Saturday, March 24, 2018, at the Polo Open Bible Church 302 S. Franklin Ave, Polo. A private burial will be at Fairmount Cemetery, Polo.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in her name.
Condolences may also be sent to pffh.condolences@gmail.com.
Obituary courtesty of Polo Family Funeral Home.
Greg enlisted in the US Army during the Vietnam War. His rank was Sp4 (Specialist Fourth Class). This was equivalent to a corporal. The specialist rank was created in 1955 for enlisted men with extensive technical knowledge.
Greg may have been stationed in Texas after the war ended. This is where he married Judy and where their first child was born.
I am not sure how long Greg and Judy stayed in Texas. But, a 1987 directory listing for Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois shows them living at 2016 9th Street. By 1988, they had moved back to Oregon, Ogle County, Illinois.
Notes:
For more information on this part of the Wakenight family, please visit Sharon Strow’s website, “Descendants of Daniel Wakenight.”
Creating Your Family Tree
Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:
Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also an excellent source for births, marriages, and deaths.
Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.
Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.
When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.
If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.
Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.
There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!
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