Lester Schrock

Lester L. Schrock, 81, of Lovington, IL passed away at 10:35 AM on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at his residence.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at the Arthur Mennonite Church, 710 East Park Street, Rev. Glen Rhodes will officiate. Burial will follow in the Arthur Cemetery. Visitation will be held two hours prior to visitation from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the church. The Edwards Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.

Lester was born on May 9, 1944 in Tuscola, IL. He was the son of Lewis A. and Eliza (Otto) Schrock.

He is survived by a niece, Sheila Dukeman and her husband Michael of Arcola, IL, two great nephews, Austin Hopkins and his fiancé Molly, and Trevin Plank.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Charlene Eastman.

Lester devoted his entire life to driving a semi-truck and trailer as an independent contract carrier. At 16 he worked alongside his father, Lewis A., hauling grain and livestock. When he was 21 years old he served 2 years in the 1W Service at Indianapolis driving a truck for Goodwill Industries. After his service, he returned home to begin over-the-road trucking and would travel most of the Eastern United States and some southern states. Several companies he drove for included the Thomas Monahan Company, Landstar, ADM Logistics and NFI Logistics. His career in trucking spanned over 60 years with no accidents or citations and retired at the age of 76. Even after his retirement, he briefly drove his Chevy Truck with a box trailer for local runs.

After retirement, Lester enjoyed the simple things in life. He would often meet a small group of friends for coffee (as well as a “coffee chaser” consisting of a cup of rootbeer soda with no ice) at Sullivan McDonald’s. He would have his designated days to eat at The Red Apple in Sullivan including Senior Fish day. Driving a semi truck was so ingrained in him, he would often drive to Effingham and Tuscola to watch the semis at the truck stops to pass the time and return home to make his rounds again the next day.