Joseph E. Zwilling, 61, of Sumner, died on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at Lawrence County Memorial Hospital.  Joe was born on October 24, 1958 in Olney, IL, the son of Norman and Jean (Volk) Zwilling.  He married Kathy (Michels) on December 4, 1982 and she survives.

Joe was a lifelong farmer and from a young age he knew he wanted to farm. He was an avid lover of John Deere farming equipment. Joe was a well-known and respected member of the local farming community. He was a loving and devoted husband and father. Joe had an outgoing personality and always had a smile on his face and a laugh to share. He was known for his unique sense of humor, which he passed along to his son, Nick. Joe had a kind and patient heart and was always quick to help someone in need. Over the years he was the primary caregiver for several relatives as well as his father and mother, in their later years. Joe had a great love of the outdoors. As well as grain farming, he spent many hours mowing, and in years past, tending a vegetable garden in the summer. He and his son, Nick, shared a very special bond. Sunday evenings were an especially good time to go out driving to check the crops, visit with neighbors, and just talk over everyday life.

Joe is survived by his wife, Kathy Zwilling; son, Nick Zwilling; mother, Jean Zwilling of Olney; sister, Rose (Terry) Runyon of Noble; brother, Thomas (Emily) Zwilling of Olney; and nephews, Matthew Runyon, Brandon Wirth, and Barry Wirth II.

He was preceded in death by his father, Norman Zwilling; niece, Ella Marie Zwilling; and several aunts and uncles.

Memorials can be made to the St. Vincent DePaul Society in Lawrenceville.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Friday, December 6, 2019 at the Kistler-Patterson Funeral Home in Olney.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Stringtown, with burial following in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Stringtown.

Kistler-Patterson Funeral Home, Olney obituary & photo - December 5, 2019