Frederick Eugene (Fred) Christner, 83, of Irving, died on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 11:45 p.m. at St. John’s Hospital, Springfield.
Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21, at Stiehl-Dawson Funeral Home in Nokomis. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home with Pastor Steve Nance officiating. Burial will follow at Rosemond Grove Cemetery.
Mr. Christner was born on Jan. 28, 1942, in Pana, to Warren and Ione (Moxley) Christner; the third of four children. He was a 1960 graduate of Pana High School. He attended Millikin University in Decatur and was a 1969 graduate of Eastern Illinois University. He attended graduate school at Northern Iowa University in Cedar Falls, IA, and Illinois State University in Normal.
He married Ellen (Shoulders) Christner in 1969 in Robinson, and she survives. They have two children; a daughter Katherin Christner Tucker (Scott Cohan) of Nokomis and William Christner, of Irving; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Mr. Christner was a veteran of the United States Air Force. His tours of duty included Lackland AFB, TX; Kessler AFB, MS: Bremerhaven, Germany; and Trabzon, Turkey. He served his country from April 1963 to April 1969.
Mr. Christner was the managing editor of the Free-Press Progress in Nokomis from 1985 to 2000. As a community journalist he touched many lives covering local events, school sports and activities. Prior to moving to Nokomis he was the advertising manager for the Pana News, in Pana. He organized the first year of soccer for the youth in Nokomis in 1986. After retiring from the Free-Press Progress, he continued his newspaper career for a small newspaper in Gillespie.
Mr. Christner was a member of the Community Presbyterian Church of Rosamond where he had served as a deacon and an elder.
While living in Pana, Mr. Christner was a member of the Lions Club and served as their president. He was active in his community belonging to many organizations. Mr. Christner served on the Community District Unit #22 School Board, the Regional Board of Education and the Nokomis Witt Area Ambulance Service Board of Directors. He was a life-long learner and enjoyed reading, writing and collecting books. Mr. Christner especially enjoyed reading and learning about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era. He loved telling a story whether it was from his reading, history or from his life experiences. Mr. Christner loved seeing and making people smile.
In addition, Mr. Christner is survived by an older sister, Barbary Brumbaugh of Sullivan and a younger sister, Carolyn (Don) Werner of Logan, UT, and brother-in-law, Jack Shoulders of Monongahela, PA. He is survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Doris Phillips, brothers-in-law, Leonard Brumbaugh and Thomas Phillips, and sister-in-law, Diana Shoulders.
Please visit www.stiehldawsonfh.com to share memories or to offer condolences to his family.
