June Logan

Ernest and Arlene Logan, married for 66 years, passed within three days of one another. Arlene left us peacefully in her sleep, holding hands with her husband, on March 17th, 2026, at Goldwater-Clinton Nursing Home. Ernest was adamant that he would be going shortly after, to be with the love of his life. He passed away on March 20th, 2026, at the same location with their daughter, Vanessa, at his side.

Ernie and Arlene are survived by two daughters, Vanessa (Logan) Thompson of Champaign, IL and Erica (Logan) Davey of Toney, Alabama; as well as five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Ernest leaves behind a brother, John Logan of Urbana, IL; and Arlene two sisters, Karen Kincaid and Marilyn Ellis of McConnelsville, OH. Preceding them in death are both sets of parents and Arlene’s two brothers, Lloyd and Kinsey of McConnelsville, OH. The Logans were saved and baptized at The Ranch House Cowboy Church in Deland, IL.

Ernest was born on October 31st, 1937, to Earl and Grace (Seth) Logan of Urbana, IL. Made to quit school at a young age to work to support his family, he later earned his High School equivalency and took night courses at Parkland College for four years. He served four years in the United States Navy and another seventeen in the Illinois Army National Guard, where he qualified as a sharpshooter. Ernest retired from the Post Office after thirty-four years of service. He acquired many accomplishments throughout his life such as becoming a Master Diver and volunteering with the Springfield underwater search and recovery team for thirty-five years, gaining his CDL to drive school and charter buses, and winning awards for his Buck Knife displays. He was a founding, former advisory board, Life Member and Hall of Fame inductee of the Buck Knife Collector’s club, as well as being a Life member of the NRA and American Legion. He was strongly devoted to his family, his country and most of all, to his precious wife, Arlene.

June “Arlene” McPeek was born on August 9th, 1940, to Kenneth and Mary (Dailey) McPeek in McConnelsville, OH. She graduated from Malta and McConnelsville High School in 1958. She worked as a switchboard operator at The Urbana Courier newspaper, customer service at Champaign National Bank, retiring from Busey Bank in Urbana, IL in 2002. Arlene was a Life Member and Hall of Fame inductee of the Buck Knife collector’s club, winning awards for her displays and working to establish youth participation. Without her, Ernie could not have achieved all that he did. She loved travel, sewing, riding motorcycles and shooting sports with her husband, and trying new things. She was incredibly hard-working, always doing what was needed behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly. Arlene wasn’t seen sitting down very often. Most of all, she loved her family and did everything she could for their future.

What makes Arlene and Ernie so notable, however, is their love story. In 1958, Ernie was serving aboard the USS Bennington and happened to see a picture of his buddy’s sister. He asked if he could write to her; his friend agreed. What followed were several months of correspondence, exchanging introductions, pictures and stories. By February of 1959, Ernie was so taken with her that after attending his stepfather’s funeral in Illinois, he hitchhiked to McConnelville, OH where Arlene lived with her parents. He arrived at 2am in severe winter conditions after a major flood and called her from a payphone. She had no idea he was coming and didn’t believe him at first, but he described the town square he was standing in and she rushed to pick him up.

The couple spent only the next two weeks together before he had to return to his ship. They were already so in love that they decided to get married the next time he was on leave- Arlene’s 19th birthday on August 9th, 1959. Most in her small town thought they must be getting married so fast because it was necessary, but their first child wasn’t born until 1962. Regardless, doubts about the possible duration of their marriage continued for years.

The Logans did everything together. They didn’t like being apart, even temporarily. They flirted shamelessly even into their final years. They may have been short on money in early times, but they always had an abundance of romance. This example shaped their children and grandchildren so much that a song was commissioned for them by their granddaughter; it’s called “Always Live On” by Songfinch and can be found on Spotify. Their love story is already a family legend and has even been featured in the News-Gazette before.

After being diagnosed with cancer twenty years ago, Ernie’s primary goal was to live, if he could, for Arlene. He succeeded in that and when she passed, he had a new mission: to die and be with her again. On March 19th, 2026, he announced that he would be following her shortly and got a haircut and clean shave for his own funeral. He was gone the next afternoon by force of will alone. Ernie truly lived and died for Arlene, Arlene’s world revolved around Ernie, and their eternity together has begun.

A service will be held at 12:30pm with a visitation held one hour prior from 11:30am-12:30pm on Thursday April 2, 2026, at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center’s Champaign Chapel 710 N. Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820. They will be interred at Grandview Memorial Gardens, 4112 W. Bloomington Rd, Champaign, IL.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Legion or Cancer research as the couple felt strongly about both.

Please join their family in sharing memories, photos and videos on their tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements have been made at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center's Champaign Chapel 710 N. Neil St. Champaign, IL. 61820.