S. Richard Jumper Obituary (1924 - 2020)

Samuel Richard "Dick" Jumper, 95, of Bloomington, passed away at 7:15 a.m., Friday, February 21, 2020 at Heritage Health in Bloomington. His funeral will be at 11:00 a.m., Monday, March 2, 2020 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington with Rev. Justin Iverson officiating. Military rites will be accorded by the Bloomington-Normal American Legion Honor Guard. Burial will be in Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m., Monday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church or the Western Avenue Community Center. Dick was born on September 14, 1924 in rural Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois the son of Samuel Morris and Rosie Black Jumper. He married Eleanor A. Reeve on May 14, 1944 in Neosho, MO. She died on December 7, 1975. He married Irene Frances Watson Kelly on September 4, 1982 at Wesley United Methodist Church, Bloomington. She died on June 20, 2014. He is also survived five children, Richard A. (Janet) Jumper, Bloomington, James L. (Marilyn) Jumper, Springfield, Rena (Dave) Hrupsa, Florida, Gary Jumper, Urbana and Donna (John) Deterts, Bloomington; 8 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren; a step-daughter, Karen L. (Richard) Nelson, Edmond, OK, a step-son, Brian L. Kelly, Fairfax Station, Fairfax, VA; three step grandchildren and one step great grandchild; three brothers-in-law, James Watson, Normal, Richard Watson, Missouri and John Watson, Bloomington. He was preceded in death by a son, Dennis Jumper, two brothers, Hugh and Wayne Jumper and two sisters, Eliza Morrisine Drew and Elsie Canady. Dick graduated from Jacksonville High School and was a Sergeant in the US Army during WWII. He served in the 66th Signal Battalion in the European Theatre and the Philippines. After the war, Dick went to mortuary school at St. Louis College of Mortuary Science. He has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for over 70 years and has prepared over 8,000 human remains in his lengthy career. Dick has worked for many funeral homes in the Bloomington-Normal area including Stamper Funeral Home, Stubblefield Memorial Home and he retired from Metzler Memorial Home in 1987. After retirement, Dick still enjoyed working part time in the funeral business and did so at Kibler-Smith Memorial Home and Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home. Being a funeral director for over seventy years, Dick even wrote his own obituary as a gift to his family. Dick was a member of the Bloomington Masonic Lodge #43, VFW Post #454, Eagles and Wesley United Methodist Church, all in Bloomington.