Grant W. Storckman

Grant Wilson Storckman, 101, of Lake Zurich, IL and formerly of Decatur, IL passed away on March 2, 2026.

Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, Friday, March 13, 2026, at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home in Decatur, IL. A funeral service will follow at 11:30 AM. A burial service will be held at 3:30 PM on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Sumner Cemetery in Sumner, IL.

Grant was born in 1924 in the parlor of a farmhouse near Sumner, IL. At age nine, he was driving the family Model T Ford, by himself, to run errands around the neighborhood, and at age 13 he was farming with horse-drawn farm equipment. Grant and his dad often provided much-needed threshing services to his farm neighbors, supporting his community and providing the farm with extra income.

Soon after high school, Grant was left to run the farm alone when his father unexpectedly died from complications resulting from a minor surgery. Although Grant expected to be drafted to fight in World War II, the call never came since the country badly needed farmers on the home front to support the war.

Grant was able to attend various colleges, off and on, while farming to make ends meet for the family. He eventually received a bachelor's degree in education in 1951 from the University of Illinois in Champaign. He received a master's degree in 1953 and had a career in elementary education that lasted over 35 years. In the 1970's, he took night classes at Millikin University to top off his teaching skills. He retired in 1989 from Stevenson school in Decatur where he taught 5/6th grades. He continued to run the family farm, on a part-time basis, until 2007. In all, he farmed for about 70 years, until the age of 83.

Grant initially taught in Sullivan, IL where he met his beloved future wife, Phyllis. They were married in 1962, and they lived in Decatur, IL for the next 49 years until Phyllis' death in 2011.

Besides agriculture and education, Grant was passionate about classical music, science, and all things mechanical. He was a devout Christian and looked forward to the eternal life promised in John 3:16. He spent his life selflessly serving others, including being the primary caregiver for his wife for many years when she developed Parkinson's. He has been a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Decatur since 1962, where he and his wife were stalwart choir members for many years.

Grant's life revolved around his family, and he will be deeply missed by his son, Joel (Carol) Storckman, and their daughter, Melody Storckman, and by his other son, Steven (Rebecca “Becky”) Storckman, and their daughter and son, Charlotte Storckman and Kurt Storckman, and by many extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his father, Elmer Israel Storckman (1943), his mother, Daisy Pearl (Moore) Storckman (1973), his sister, Letha Ellen (Storckman) Carl (2007), and his wife, Phyllis Joy (Herr) Storckman (2011).