Staunton Star - Times - Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years

Willis Edward Coatney, 90, of Normal, Ill., died on March 21, 2024. He was born in Gillespie on Dec. 24, 1933 the son of the late James and Elizabeth Coatney. He married his wife of sixty-three years, Thelma Millikin on Dec. 18, 1955 and she preceded him in death.

Will graduated from Staunton High School and Southern Illinois University in 1955. He was a lifetime member of the SIU Alumni Association. Willis also served two years in the Army in Augusta, Ga.

Willis was an active member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, and had formerly served on the Board of Trustees. He retired...