Garland Walter Poehler passed away peacefully on January 21, 2015, at Lakeland Care Center in Effingham, IL.  He was born the only son to Walter F. and Sylvia A. Poe Poehler on July 20, 1919, in rural Effingham County, IL.  After graduating from Effingham High School in 1937 and holding several local jobs, Garland entered the U.S. Army Air Corps at age 22 and thus began a thirty year U.S. Air Force career.

   Garland married Mary Ann Bryan of Clay County, IL, on August 12, 1945, making theirs a marriage of sixty nine years at the time of his death.  During those years Garland and Mary Ann had and raised three children to adulthood, Bryan, Gloria and Tom.  Family was always important to Garland and he proved a good provider and strong family leader throughout his lifetime.

   During his Air Force career, Garland served during WWII in B-17s flying from North Africa and Italy, flew troop carrier support during the Korean War and while commanding a logistics unit at Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam, flew combat during the Vietnam War.  After Air Force retirement in 1971, Garland and Mary Ann returned to Clay County in Southern Illinois where they farmed raising corn, soybeans and cattle for thirty five years and were active in the Clay City United Methodist Church.

   Garland is survived and missed by wife Mary Ann, son Bryan and his wife Wilda Poehler, son Tom and his wife Dorothea Poehler along with their daughter Hannah.  Daughter Gloria predeceased in 2008 leaving as survivors her husband John Fisher and their natural children Alicia Ann Martin, Kevin and Timothy Fisher and their respective spouses.

   A funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, January 25, 2015, at Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora.  Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.  Interment will be in Ingraham Cemetery with military rites.  Garland’s family encourages memorial contributions in his memory to Clay County Cancer Crusaders, which will be accepted through the funeral home.  To share a condolence with the family, visit www.frankandbright.com.