Donald R. Schmollinger, 74

Donald R. Schmollinger, 74, of Greenville died on Wednesday Sept. 23, 2015 at St. John’s Hospital in St. Louis, Mo.

A funeral service was held on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at Donnell-Wiegand Funeral Home in Greenville, with Darryl Bolen and Billy Jones officiating. Burial was in Mount Auburn Cemetery.

He was born on Nov. 25, 1940 in Breese to Richard B. and Elsie V. (Smith) Schmollinger. He married Lola Marie Post in 1962; they divorced in 1985. On June 16, 1989, he married Cheryl Lee Kilmer Eaker at the First Christian Church in Greenville, and they enjoyed more than 25 years together; she survives in Greenville.

Mr. Schmollinger was raised on the family farm north of Greenville, near the Governor Bond Lake. He attended the Durley and Halls Grove one-room schools and graduated from Greenville High School in 1959. He graduated from St. Louis Christian College in 1965.

In 1959, he began working as a machinist for the brass mill at Olin. He later became the gunsmith for Winchester at Olin and retired in 2009 after 50 years with the company.

Through the years, he served as pastor of many Christian churches, including Perryville, Mo., Edwardsville, Tamalco, Old Ripley (twice), and he was serving as the pastor at the Woburn Church of Christ at the time of his passing.

Mr. Schmollinger enjoyed working with Mopar cars and firearms. He also enjoyed being with his family and enjoyed many sporting events with his children and grandchildren.

He was a member of the NRA, the Bond County Ministerial Alliance, Machinist Labor Local 600 in East Alton, Woburn Church of Christ, and he was a past president of the Greenville Kiwanis Club.

Survivors include his children, Brian D. (Patti) Schmollinger of Highland, Brian Eaker of Champaign, Ill., Bruce (Laura) Eaker of Auburn, Ill., and Bradley (Casey) Eaker of East Peoria, Ill.; grandchildren, Nicholas Schmollinger, Wesley Schmollinger, Adam Eaker, Taylor Ann Eaker, Cooper Eaker, Benjamin Eaker, Samantha Eaker, Kyle Eaker, Chase Eaker and Sara Eaker; siblings, James D. (Donna) Schmollinger of Eugene, Ore., Larry M. (Lois) Schmollinger of Mount Grove, Mo., Roy L. (Marcia) Schmollinger of Coffeen, Carla (Grady) Sitzler of Federal Way, Wash.; and a sister-in-law, Bonnie Schmollinger of Bethalto.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother Gerald Schmollinger; and a daughter, Lisa Ann Schmollinger, who died on May 6, 1978.

Memorials may be made to Woburn Church of Christ.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 5:02 AM with the headline "Donald R. Schmollinger, 74."