Ralph Bloemker

Ralph E. Bloemker, 86, formerly of Urbana and Savoy, died on Thursday, May 16, 2019 in Venice Regional Bayfront Hospital, Venice, FL, following a brief illness. 

The funeral service will be on Thursday, May 23 at 11:00 am at Owens Funeral Home, 101 N. Elm St, Champaign. The visitation will be one hour prior to the service, at the funeral home. Burial will be at Grandview Memorial Gardens, Champaign and military rites will be accorded. 

Ralph was born on October 7, 1932, in Bourbon, IL to William L. and Mabel I (Hadfield) Bloemker. He attended Urbana schools and graduated from Urbana High School in 1951. 

Ralph and his brother, Gerald, both volunteered for the U.S. Army in Feb. of 1952. Ralph served as a sniper in the Korean conflict and was awarded 3 Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart among several other medals. He separated from the Army as a SGT in Sept. 1953, returning to Urbana where he worked for the post office for 30 years. Then came retirement to warm and sunny Florida. 

On Sept. 4, 1976, Ralph and Earlene (Cooper) Hall married and lived 43 plus years together, mostly in FL, prior to her passing on Feb. 25, 2019. Also preceding him in death were his parents; 4 brothers, Charles, Bernard, Albert and Roy, and his sister, Eunice Hubert. 

Surviving are his brothers, Gerald (Jean) Bloemker and his sister-in-law, Vicki Bloemker, both of Urbana; brothers-in-law, Terry Cooper of Ludlow, Stephen Cooper of Paxton and Phil Cooper of TN; along with several nieces and nephews. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. 

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