Lyle Orlin Deuth

CHANA, IL ~ Lyle Orlin Deuth, age 100, passed away on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at his home in Chana, IL, with his loving wife by his side. He was born March 9, 1925, at his family farm three miles north of Polo on Goose Hollow Rd. He was greeted by his parents Millard & Mary (Coffman) Deuth and brother Elwin. Followed later by his sister Carol (Duncan). He attended the Excelsior School; a one-room country school that both his parents and his father’s parents had gone to. He graduated from Polo Community High School Class of 1943. Lyle earned the American Farmer Degree in the FFA.

During WWII farms boys were exempt from the draft because both the armed forces and the civilians at home required food. Toward the end of the war, a shortage of armed forces meant that two men from the same family farm could not be exempt. The Navy needed trained electronics personnel and created a program to fill the gap. Tests were given to volunteers. 500,00 men took the test and 30,000 passed. Lyle was in the Navy March 1945 thru July 1946 and went to school in Chicago, Great Lakes, and Corpus Christi, Texas. He received an honorable discharge as an Aviation Electronics Technician Mate, Second Class.

April 11, 1951, Lyle married Donna Marie Heng at the Chana United Methodist Church. They eventually had four sons, Stuart, Russell, Duane and Robert, a daughter Roxanne (who only lived for 5 days) and an adopted daughter, Liz. After farming for six years, they moved to Chana where Lyle became manager of Griffith Lumber & Grain Co. in 1962. Approximately one million bushels of grain storage capacity and a grain dryer were added before he retired. In 1971 he suffered a back injury which was with him for the rest of his life.

After retirement, he and Donna traveled the world. They visited all 50 states and 38 foreign countries during their wonderful life together. April 8, 2015, was a very special day for Lyle. He took an Honor Flight from Chicago to Washington D.C. to attend a special ceremony at the WWII Memorial. Since he had been inducted into the Navy near the end of the war and was still in training when the war ended, he often wasn’t treated as a true veteran. This day he was thanked numerous times for his service to his country by people of all ages from 5 to 95. After this day, he often wore his Navy cap and was surprised at how often a stranger would come to him and say, “Thank you”.

Lyle was predeceased by his parents, brother Elwin (Betty), sister Carol (Robert) Duncan, infant daughter Roxanne, son Russell, and grandson Joey Deuth.

He is survived by his wife Donna of Chana, sons Stuart (Linda) of Chana, Duane of Chana, Robert (Joanna) of Oregon, Daughter Elizabeth (David) Dibbles of Oregon, 6 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

A visitation will be held on Friday, September 5, 2025, at the Chana United Methodist Church between the hours of 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. A funeral service honoring his life will be held immediately following the visitation at 11:00 AM at the church with Pastor Dave Rogula of Lighthouse Church and Pastor Josh Brown of Chana United Methodist Church. Lyle will then be laid to rest at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens of Dixon, IL. Memorial donations are established in his name and may be directed to either Serenity Hospice & Home of Oregon, IL or the Chana United Methodist Church.