Roberta Gene “Bobbi” (Kesslar) Kulier, 72, of Granite City and formerly of Odell, passed away
peacefully on Wednesday (Jan. 6, 2016) at St. Luke’s Hospital, Chesterfield, Mo.
Roberta was born Jan. 1, 1944, in Springfield, a daughter of the late Robert and June (Handley) Kesslar. She was joined in matrimony with Michael Andrew Kulier on Sept. 23, 1967, sharing 49 years of happy marriage.
A graduate of Odell High School and Illinois Wesleyan University, Roberta was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Roberta worked as an English teacher at Mundelein High School, and edited textbooks for the Foresman Co. She loved reading and crossword puzzles, and enjoyed taking walks with her family.
She is survived by and will be missed by her husband, Michael, Granite City; her children, Jennifer (Christopher Hebel) Kulier, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Sara (Ronald) Hollmann, Vandalia.
Larry D. Phifer, 74, of Mt. Vernon, Illinois passed away on Sunday, August 16, 2015 at Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Larry attended Lincoln Way High School in New Lenox, Illinois and graduated from Gibson City High School. He received his Bachelor of Music Education in 1962, and his Master of Music in 1967, both from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois; his Post-Graduate study was at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, Post-Graduate ABD study was at University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois. During his teaching career he taught students from Kindergarten through Sophomore in College. From 1996-2008 he was Elementary School Teacher and Technology Coordinator, and taught Band, Chorus and Fine Arts at Summerville Grade School, Dodds Grade School and Opdyke-Belle Rive school districts. From 1973-78, he was Chairman of the Arts and Communications Department at Rend Lake College. He was Guest Conductor for the Illinois Music Educators Association All-State District Chorus at SIU-Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville. He successfully wrote for grants totaling over $324,000 for Summerville School. He was a member of the Illinois Music Educators Association, the National Honor Society, Blue Key National Honor and Service Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Professional Music Fraternity, Kappa Delta Pi National Honor Fraternity in Education and was recipient of Certificates of Commendation from President Gerald Ford and the Music Educators National Conference for the Rend Lake College Collegiate Choir performance in front of the White House on Memorial Day 1976 for the Bi-Centennial Celebration.