Donald Ehrat's Obituary
Donald C. Ehrat, 87, of rural Shobonier, passed away at 5:00pm,
Saturday, April 9, 2016 at Fayette County Hospital, Vandalia.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00am, Wednesday, April 13,
2016 at Augsburg Immanuel Lutheran Church, Shobonier with Pastor
Josh Frazee officiating. Visitation will be held from
6:00-9:00pm, Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at Augsburg Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Shobonier and also 1 hour prior to services at the church
Wednesday. Burial will follow in Augsburg Immanuel Lutheran
Church Cemetery, Shobonier. Memorials may be made to Augsburg
Immanuel Lutheran Church, American Parkinson Disease Association,
or Fayette County Hospital Long Term Care Activity Fund.
Don was born June 13, 1928 at home in rural Shobonier, the son
of Albert and Ella (Beckmeier) Ehrat. He attended the
Heckathorn and Augsburg Schools until 8th Grade.
He entered into the US Army in the fall 1954, discharged in the
fall of 1956. On January 19, 1963 he married Emily M. Summann
at Augsburg Immanuel Lutheran Church. Together he and Emily
continued on the family business, being 3rd generation
dairy farmers. Don was a lifetime member ofAugsburg Immanuel
Lutheran Church, member of American Legion Post 380, and a member
of the Illinois Holstein Association; he was once awarded the
Senior Breeder Award. Don loved to bowl and over the years he
was active in leagues at the Vandalia Bowling Alley; he was an avid
St. Louis Cardinal Baseball fan, so much so that he and Emily
enjoyed going to Jupiter, FL to watch the Cardinals during Spring
Training. But more than the Cardinals, he loved his
grandchildren; you would often see him in the stands watching their
sporting events or at their music recitals. He was a
wonderful grandfather.
Don is survived by his wife Emily Ehrat of Shobonier; sons Mark
Ehrat and wife Lisette of Shobonier and Keith Ehrat and wife Sandy
of Shobonier; grandchildren Braden Ehrat of Champaign, Ella Ehrat
and fiancé John Doyle of Decatur, and Paige Ehrat of Shobonier;
sister Marcella and husband Sherwin Albrecht of St. Paul;
sisters-in-law Eileen Ehrat of St. Peter and Valeria Ehrat of
Vandalia; brother-in-law Charles Kruenegel of Shobonier and
sister-in-law Ruth Summann of Shobonier.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Omar Ehrat and
Fred Ehrat, sister-in-law Iris Kruenegel, and brother-in-law Paul
Summann.
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