Earl Oyler

Earl Walter Oyler, 81, of Decatur, IL, died 11:37 A.M., Wednesday, November 2, 2011, at Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur, IL. Visitation will be 5 to 7 P.M., Monday, November 7, at First Baptist Church, Decatur, IL. Funeral services will be 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, November 8, at First Baptist Church. Burial will be 12:00 noon at Camp Butler National Cemetery, Springfield, IL. Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home, Decatur, IL, will be handling the arrangements. Memorials may be made to SAIL for the visually disabled and/or the First Baptist Church, Decatur. Earl was born July 27, 1930 in Taylorville, IL. He lived in Morrisonville on the family farm, the son of Walter and Ethel (Irwin) Oyler. On September 15, 1973 in Taylorville, IL he married Janet Clifton, the daughter of Herbert W. and Marie Clifton of Edinburg, IL. Earl was a member of First Baptist Church, Decatur, IL. He was a graduate of Millikin University and began his music teaching career in Nokomis, Taylorville and later substituted for the Decatur Public Schools and Macon County as a K-12 music teacher. He and Janet operated a music studio in Taylorville and later taught piano and voice in Decatur. Earl was a featured soloist with the Taylorville and Springfield Muny Bands and performed with the Springfield Muny Opera (Camelot, Oliver, 1776, etc.) and Theatre 7 (Oliver's Mr. Bumble, etc.) in Decatur was well as the Decatur Chorale. He was a regular soloist for the Illinois State Fair at the grandstand and sang for several Illinois governors at various events. Earl wrote several patriotic songs and the official Illinois State Fair song, "Our Illinois, Our Land of Lincoln". He also composed Christmas, religious and secular music as well as a musical "Tempo of the Times", performed in Nokomis as a fund raiser for the schools. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in the Korean War, an Amateur Radio Operator, WA9RNI and technical enthusiast. Earl participated with the Veteran's Association and Soyland Access to Independent Living (SAIL) organization as Legally Blind. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Janet of Decatur, IL; daughter Leiann Oyler Milison, son-in-law Ben Milison and grandson Maxwell Milison; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Wanita Oyler, Marcella Hunt, Loren Oyler, and Gale Oyler. "
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