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Funeral: 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoffman
Visitation: 4-8 p.m. Monday, January 25, 2016, at Faith Lutheran Church in Flora and from 9-11 a.m. Tuesday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoffman
Interment: Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
Dr. Galen F. Lueking, MD, of Flora, Illinois, died Saturday evening, January 23, 2016, at his farm, surrounded by loving family. Dr. Lueking touched thousands of lives during his 34-year medical career in Clay County, serving as a compassionate and devoted physician. He was 63.
Focusing on general practice medicine and certified by the American Board of Family Practice since July 1981, Dr. Lueking personified the traditions of a country doctor who delivered babies and made home visits, often wearing his trademark suspenders and spending time getting to know and listen to his patients.
Born October 26, 1952, the son of Edwin August and Evelyn Marie (Kleine) Lueking in Centralia, he grew up near Hoffman in Clinton County. After attending Carlyle High School and Kaskaskia College, he went on to graduate in 1978 from the University of Illinois College of Medicine program in Peoria, and completed his residency in 1981 at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield. He honorably served as a U.S. Air Force Reservist. In 1981, Dr. Lueking began his area practice at the Clay Medical Center. Almost 20 years later he joined Clay County Hospital and was instrumental in breaking ground for the new Clay County Hospital and Medical Clinic.
He served as medical director, both past and present, of the following: Clay County Hospital serving as Chief of Staff, Vice Chief of Staff, Secretary/Treasurer, Medical Records/Utilization Review Committee, Morbidity/Mortality Conference Committee, and Infection Control Committee; Clay County Health Department Board of Directors and Hospice program; CCH Medical Clinic; and local nursing, independent living, and CILA homes including: Flora Pavilion, Country View Terrace, Richland Manor, Flora Health Care Center, Flora Manor, and Prairie Estates.
In December 2015, the naming of the “Dr. Galen Lueking Medical-Surgical Unit” of Clay County Hospital was formally presented in honor for his years of dedication and service. Other recent honors include when Dr. Lueking was named with the Illinois Rural Health Physician of Excellence award in 2008.
He married Jacqueline A. (Klaman) on March 3, 1984, at Faith Lutheran Church in Flora, and they have shared 31 years of love and mutual passions together, including horses, dancing, travel and entertaining.
Dr. Lueking’s interest in horses and later, mules, began early in life as his family kept and cared for ponies. He enjoyed discovering new trails and rode his horses in a number of states and Canada, and particularly appreciated the splendor of the Yukon’s Emerald Lake.
He was a member of the Flora Elks, Eagles, Moose, NMN Club, and a 25-year member of Coon Creek Ridge Riders.
He is survived by his wife: Jacqueline Lueking of Flora; two daughters: Michelle Lueking and husband Tom Hines of Long Island City, New York, and Dr. Melissa J. Lueking of O’Fallon, Missouri; stepson: Jeffrey J. Miglin and significant other Michele Hinds of Flora; stepdaughter: Jennifer A. Winka of Flora; grandson: Lueking Thomas Hines; step-granddaughter: Katherine A. Miglin; siblings: Donald (Marcella) Lueking of Centralia, William (Deborah) Lueking of Centralia, and Nita (Kevin) Bennett of Shorewood; along with several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
A funeral service for Dr. Lueking will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoffman. Interment will follow in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery with military recognition. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Monday at Faith Lutheran Church in Flora and from 9-11 a.m. Tuesday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoffman. Funeral arrangements are in the care of Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora. The family has recommended any of the following as their preferred form of remembrance: Faith Lutheran Church of Flora, Clay County 4-H, Clay County Cancer Support Group, Christ our Rock Lutheran High School, Trinity Lutheran Church of Hoffman, or Clinton County 4-H. To share a condolence or memory with the family, visit www.frankandbright.com.
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We are so sorry for your loss of a great man. He was a wonderful Dr. And a great friend.
Thoughts and Prayers to the family he was a great Doctor...RIP Doc Lueking..
I will miss you very much. He was my Doctor for over 25 yrs. Will pray for your family...
My heart goes out to the family. He was a great man that did so much for the community. Not only was he a compassionate and loving doctor to patients, he was funny and easy to work with as a colleague. He will be missed.
Sorry for your loss..Prayers for the family ? He will definitely be missed he was a big part of the community. Rip doc.
My thoughts and prayers are with family and friends. I worked with Dr. Lueking for many years and he was our family physician as well. May your memories console you in days ahead.
Prayers for family and friends.
Prayers for the family,for the loss of a very caring man. He will be greatly missed,Dr. Lurking had been my family doctor for 33 years. He delivered. Our two daughters also. I loved him, he will be greatly missed. The family is in ny prayers
We are so sorry to hear of your loss. Dr. lueking was a great Dr. and friend to so many people. He will be missed. My prayers are with his family during this difficult time. RIP, Doc.
I will greatly miss his friendship, warm welcomes to his home and his wonderful sense of humor.
Thoughts are prayers to all the family.
Praying f or all of you. The world has lost a great man and heaven gained a wonderful angel. Rest in peace my friend.
sorry to hear about your loss. he will be miss he. rest in peace Dr. prayes for the family
So very sorry to learn of this this morning....condolences to Jacquie & the family.....prayers during this very difficult time. Rest In Peace, my friend.
He was a good man! Will be sorely missed.
So sorry about your loss. He was a great doctor and asset to our community. He will be greatly missed.
Sorry for your loss prayers for family
Our Community lost a great man, My heart and prayers go out to the family
It was such an honor to have met and worked with Dr. Lueking. May your wonderful memories help you through this sad time and in the days ahead. Prayers for you all.
What a loss for our community. Dr Lueking was so well liked and a great doctor to many. A genuinely caring man . Deepest sympathy to Jackie and family.
God bless and keep. You Jackie.. Doc will be missed..heartfelt sadness to all..
Deepest condolences to the family! Doc will be missed terribly in this community. But we will all keep him in our hearts!
My condolences to the family. May good memories help you to find Peace and Comfort in this time of sorry.
dr Lueking was always a wonderful Dr to work with as a nurse always courteous and respectful to me I know he will be greatly missed in the medical field RIP Dr Lueking. Prayers for comfort peace and healing to the family
Praying for comfort for Jackie and Dr. Lueking's family during your time of sorrrow. God bless you all!
Dr. Lueking was such a wonderful human being, so compassionate. He was my doctor for most of my life and you always felt how genuine his concern was for your care. He delivered both of my children and I will always hold a special place in my heart for this wonderful man. Our prayers go out to the family for strength and comfort during this difficult time.
So very sorry for your loss...and a tremendous loss to the surrounding community. Dr Lueking delivered our daughter and was a joy to have met. May God provide peace and strength in the upcoming days to all that were close to him.
I'm sorry hear about the loss of doc. Hr was a good man that done a lot for clay co. May the good be with you all and put your wings around you all god bless your all and my the god lord be with you all god bless
Dr Lueking's passing will be felt by many on both a personal and a professional level. We pray for blessings and comfort for his family and friends. The area as a whole has lost a great member of the community. God be with you and all of us.
Prayers for you Jackie and the family. Galen was truly a wonderful doctor and man.
I am sorry for ur loss he was one of the greatest men I ever meet. He was the best doctor may u rest in peace. Ur legacy will live on for ever u touched so many lives.
Love love loved this man. My heart breaks for his family. He will be greatly missed such a loss for the community. He will live on in everyone's heart that crossed paths with him. Such a great loss.
To the family and friends, May God provide you with peace and comfort. He was a doctor who cared about his patients. He will be missed by many. Dennis and Sue Hampsten
God Bless such a loss to the community, family & friends.
I am so very sorry to hear of the passing of this great guy! ...He was very instrumental in teaching a lot of healthcare workers and his patients. May he RIP and may God wrap His loving arms around his family with comfort and peace.
May our Lord bless and comfort you and your family during this time of grief. Please accept our sincere condolences.
So very sorry for your loss.
Sorry to hear of Doc's passing. He has helped my family through so much and there is no way we can repay all he has done. He gave so much compassion to whatever he did. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the family.
Thoughts and prayers to the family. He will be greatly missed but fondly remembered.
So sorry for the loss of this great man..prayers to his family, friends and co workers..RIP
So sorry for your loss. Galen was a wonderful person and an awesome Dr. We have all lost a truly amazing friend.
I'm so very sorry for the loss, both the family and community lost a great man.
Words cannot describe the pain and sadness we are feeling right now. Doc was such a wonderful individual and wonderful physician with such great compassion for his patients and this community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this time. Fly high Doc. You will be so greatly missed.
Heaven has gained a special angel. RIP Doc. You were loved by so many.
Thoughts and prayers to the Lueking family!! He was a awesome Doctor......I will miss him!!
So sorry to here of the passing of Doc Lueking, our thoughts and prayers for the family.
Prayers for the family may he rest in peace. He was the best dr anyone could ask for
We are so sorry for the loss of a great man and Dr. Prayers for you and your family.
My heart is truly broken, he will forever be missed and always remember you were so much more then just our doctor for the last 18 years you were a friend, always said just whats on your mind (I loved that) and seemed more like part of the family. Prayers for all that will need healing for the loss of one great man.
Our thoughts & prayers are with you. Sorry we can't be there.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Dr. Lueking was such a huge part of the community. He will be missed!
Sending prayers to his family. He was a great doctor and a great person. He will be missed. RIP Dr. Lueking we will miss you!!!
So sorry to hear that Doc has passed but I'm sure he is with God and in a brand new heavenly body without pain. Prayers.
Thoughts and prayers for the Lueking family.
Jackie and family, You continue to be in our prayers.
Thinking of you all and praying you will find comfort and peace in all your wonderful memories. I will miss his mischievous grin as he walked the halls at Clay County Health Department. We were blessed to have him as a part of our team and will miss him greatly. With much love and sympathy. Brandi
So sorry to here of Docs passing. RIP and prayers to his family and friends
I'm very sorry to hear about the passing of Dr. Lueking. He was my Dr. while growing up and I considered him a friend as an adult. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. May he rest in peace.
Prayers and condolences to you all. He will be greatly missed by the community and most of all his friends and family!
So sorry for your loss.i worked with Dt. lueking , he was a great Dr. he cared deeply about his patients. He will be greatly missed.May god keep all his family in his loving grace.
Thoughts and prayers are with family.He was a good friend and science partner in high school,he will be missed.Sorry for your loss.
Thoughts and prayers to you all. I'll never forget Doc. He was a very kind gentleman. Praying GOD comforts you all in this painful time.
So sorry to hear this. Great man, doctor and friend. He was a great doctor to a up coming nurse. He will be missed.
so sorry for the loss of a great man ..he will be missed
what a great loss...our prayers go to the family,may he rest in peace.
Thoughts and Prayers for All .. We will miss that Smiling Face and Humor . You were one of a kind . Heart of Gold and a Wonderful Man ... RIP Dr. Galen You will be missed by All .....
He was such a great doctor, my thoughts and prayers are with the family during this time
So sorry for OUR loss...community, hospital, and especially each one's personal loss.
So sorry he was a Great Dr. Will be missed be so many loved to watch him and Jackie Dance they were so good
So sorry for your loss. He was a great man and a great doctor. RIP doc.
He was my doctor for many years. And took such good care of me. I was blessed to have met the man. And am very saddened. I am very sorry for your loss. The world has lost a great man.
Thank you for everything you have done, Dr. Lueking. Our condolences to the whole family. Our hearts are saddened. Clay County, esp Flora, has lost a great man and he will always be missed. We know you will rest in peace for you have served your people well.
Prayers to the family during this difficult time. I will miss his smile and humor. He was such a wonderful man who had touched the lives of so many. Doc was one of a kind and will never be forgotten. RIP friend
We are very sorry for your loss...prayers and deepest sympathy. He will be greatly missed.
Praying for your family ,that they find comfort in their memories . Dr Lueking was a true blessing to our community both as a doctor and a friend to many. He leaves a legacy you can be proud of. I was honored to have worked with him & to call him & Jacque friends .
My sincere condolences to the family. He was much loved and appreciated. His strength was unbelievable.
Our thoughts and prayers are with your family. So sorry for your loss.
He was a great man and an amazing doctor. He will truly be missed. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this time.
So sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful doctor. Thoughts and prayers to family and friends and co- workers. RIP Dr. Lueking
Peace by with one of the greatest men I had the pleasure of calling friend. Hugs to the family.
Mostly knew you by stories of your Mule adventures with Anthony. Was able to ride with you once at Big South Fork. You lived a full and wonderful life. For that, you won't be forgotten! Sorry for your loss to your loving friends and family.
Prayers for the family. He was a great doctor. RIP Dr. Lueking
Even though we did not know him well we enjoyed his company. Doc Burke enjoyed riding with him at Shawnee. He was a very nice man. He will be truly missed by all who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of his family and friends.
You will be missed. Thank you for all the care you gave to me as my doctor and friend! Rest in peace and ride with the angels!
So sorry for your loss. He was a good doctor and will be missed.
We will miss him so much. He was our dr. ever since we had our son nearly 33 years ago. Wonderful man, always had you smiling and laughing. Condolences to Jackie and the family.
Such sad news....he was a great Doctor and treated me with such care many years ago. RIP Doc.
Dr. Lueking helped bring me into this world. He continued to provide me care throughout adolescence. I remember thinking of him of as a super hero... Or a super cowboy. I loved driving past his house on the highway and thinking how cool it was my doctor had horses!! The care he gave to so many people is amazing. God bless his family. Rest in peace.
so very sorry for your loss. I worked with him for a lot of years and he was a wonderful man and doctor. Prayers for your family.
Healing hands, listening ears and a kind heart brought to others health, friendship and love. May angel wings carry you to green pastures to be with your horses and little mules where you will find peace and happiness above.
We are so sorry for your loss. Dr. Lueking was a wonderful doctor and a friend to all in Clay County. He will be missed by many.
Rest in God's arms Dr Lueking and thank you for being such a great doctor and serving our community. Peace and comfort to the family.
So very sorry to hear of Doc's passing. Prayers.
I am deeply saddened by the loss of Dr.Lueking. He was kind, lovable and a little bit ornery. All of this made him a great friend and coworker. We had a lot of laughs. He will be missed. Prayers to his family.
So sorry for your loss, sending prayers & hugs !!
So sorry for your loss, sending prayers & hugs !!
Doc was a great medical director, physician and friend. I will always miss him and never forget him. My condolences to Jacquie and family.
Sorry for your loss God bless you all at this time
Heaven gained a special angel... He was such an intelligent man and a great one to work with. You always had answers and gave great advice. Not to mention the laughs. Rest in peace Doc. You will be missed by so many.
He was a great dr! Prayers for the family!
My sympathy to the family. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.
So sorry for your loss. In our thoughts and prayers.
He was a wonderful doctor and person. He was always kind caring and professional.Our prayers are with the family.May God bless each one of them.
Sorry for the loss. He was very good with my brother Phillip and hopefully they are swapping tales in the afterlife.
Heaven has gained another saint in Galen. Our prayers are with you Jacquie, Michelle & Tom & Luke, Melissa, Jeff & Michele, Jenny, Kate & all of the Lueking and Winka family. May God bring you through these difficult days, embracing You in his loving care in the same Jesus, who has given your beloved Galen life immortal. Love from Pastor Allen and Ginger
Jackie and Family , Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers at this time. Dr. Lueking was truly an awesome person whom had a wonderful caring spirited heart that touch so many lives! I had the honor of working with him for many years. He was like a candle that lit up the world with his smiles and laughter,he left so many memories with all that met him that will be with us always! Not only was he admired for being a fine Doctor he was truly an awesome friend to Sara and I. He had the most generous heart to help out those in need! A true ANGEL he was! We will remember how dear he was and truly miss him! God take care of our DOC as he took care of us!
If death would take money, the entire people of Clay county would be broke to keep Doc around. And if being loved is an antidote to death, Doc would live forever. I trusted you with my life and you and Jackie made me feel welcomed in Flora for more than 23 years. Jackie, please accept my deepest condolences on behalf of the clients, employees, and management of CILA Corporation. Rest in Peace, Doc!
A great Dr he will be missed.
My heart breaks that Doc is gone, but he is no longer in pain. He was a wonderful Doctor who has touched many lives. Could not have been a kinder man. Fly high Doc you were the best and loved by so many.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. It was an honor to call him our friend. He was an excellent physician and great advocate and resource for his co-workers. We will treasure our memories of his smiling face.
Prayers and thoughts for you all at this time. God took another fine person.
No words can explain the sorrow in my heart...Doc was one of the great ones, not just as a physician but a true friend...I pray for peace for Jacquie and his family and so many in our community that loved him as I know I did..he will be missed tremendously. ..
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and for the many who were lucky enough to have had this man for a physician. He was so loved and will be deeply missed.
We were honored to have met Doc and ridden with him at Shawnee. What an awesome, caring man he was. We are saddened to hear he is gone. Love and prayers to all.
You are in my thoughts & prayers. Galen & I attended CHS together & we were at the high school reunion. I am so happy I attended & got to visit with him. Please accept my deepest condolences. May God bless you all during this most sad time.
He was a terrific doctor who truly listened to his patients and had a fantastic sense of humor! He will be sadly missed. Your family is in our prayers.
Prayers for the family sorry for your loss he was a good man and he will be greatly missed
My heart goes out to you, Jackie. His smile was one of the first to greet me when we first came to Flora. Keith thought the world of him professionally and personally. He would come home laughing, relating some story Doc had told him. You are in my thoughts. Loving prayers to you, your family, your friends, his patients and all who loved this great man!
I'm so sorry to hear of Dr. Lueking passing. He was a wonderful doctor. He took care of 5 generations of my family, from my grandfather to my grandchildren. He took care of everyone in my family. He will be greatly missed. Empathy= Your pain in my heart.
Sorry for your loss, Prayers.
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS DR LUEKING WILL BE MISSED BY MANY FRIENDS AND PATIENTS HE WAS A GREAT DOCTOR
So sad to hear of his passing. Dr. Lueking was a very nice person good friend and a good doctor. I had lots of great memories of Galen and Jackie.
Not only our doctor for many years but also a caring friend. He will be truly missed by all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
sorry for your loss
I worked with this wonderful physician and his father as a nurse. He was a great person and will be missed. God bless you all and hope your all doing as well as you can.
So sorry to learn of Dr Leuking's passing. He was my mother's doctor and cared for her during her battle with cancer. He was a kind and caring man during that terrible time in our lives. May God bless you all as you cope with this great loss.
Praying for God's peace for the family as they remember & celebrate his life.
Very sorry for your loss. Will always remember the day he hitched up the horses and took all the 4-H kids for a sleigh ride! You're in our prayers.
My sympathy to the family. I worked with Dr. while he was at Dr. Garretson ' s office a short time. He was so nice. Jeff I had no idea when you were helping me walk again that you were his stepson. Thoughts and prayers are with you.
We are very sorry to hear his loss. He was always there for our family while our stay in Flora. We send our sincere condolences from Japan. Thoughts and prayers for his family.
Jackie and family - Sorry to hear the news; wanted to say that, and to extend thanks for the years of opening your home to those bluegrass music jams I was blessed to be a part of. You're wonderful people! We'll sure miss that guy.
Rememberances: compassion, kindness, smiles, intelligence, suspenders, denim lab coat, horses and mules. Happy trails to you on your homeward journey
Doc was a wonderful doctor, as well as a great friend to our family over the years. Sending our prayers and sympathy to the Lueking family from the Albaugh-Converse-Bible families.
Great Dr. and person. He will have many stars in his crown for helping many people.
We knew Doc for many years and shared lots of laughs. We will miss him dearly. He is in a better place may he rest in peace.
We have lost a great Dr and Heaven has gained a great man!! My love and prayers for the family!
Our deepest sympathy for your loss!
We rode many trails together, Doc. Will miss a great friend and doctor. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family for their loss.
We were broken hearted hearing of our doctor, neighbor and friend's passing. Dr. Galen Lueking personified the definition of a great physician. He took time to listen to his patients, a rare quality in today's medicine. Jacqueline, our condolences to you and your family. Your loved one is a great loss in our community.
Jacquie and Family, Please accept our sympathies on the passing of your Husband, and Father. Flora and Clay County has lost a great man and community leader. He gave many, many hours making sure that his patients and friends all received the care that they deserved, even though he may have been wanting to spend more time with you or trail riding or the many other things that he enjoyed. We will miss him as a Dr., but more importantly as a friend.....if there is anything we can do to help, let us know, remember the good times....you are in our prayers.....
Our hearts are heavy, but we are the ones left behind. He is happy now and free of pain. I told him on more than one occasion that he was the smartest Physician I had ever known. He just had such a knowledge and intuition for making that right medical decision and caring for people. Bruce says Dr Lueking saved his life , and we will be eternally grateful for the years of care he gave us. We will miss him so much. God Bless Jacquie and the family. Galen will live on in our hearts and will always be watching over us. Heaven is a little bit fuller now.
It will never be the same without you. He was my doctor and friend for 20 years. I have lots of great memories of our times together.. R.I.P. my friend.
The world has lost an incredible soul. Doc made an impact on the entire Clay County community, not just professionally but personally. He was one in a million. Hugs and prayers to the family.
Saying goodbye is never easy and saying goodbye to this man is very hard. He came to Clay County Hospital just a few years after I did and I have spent my whole career with him at the hospital and on the Board of Health. He was a one of a kind and I am sure God broke the mold after him. Prayers to Jacque and family, you have our deepest sympathy.
This man will be missed by so many people. He was quite a funny guy, but knew when the seriousness was needed. Our hearts ache but we know he is being welcomed into a glorious place and hopefully that will give us peace. God bless you Jacquie and all your family.
Sad to hear of the passing of a good friend. He was a doctor who seemed happiest in blue jeans and boots, and our community will miss his presence.
can't begin to find any words of comfort. don't hesitate to reach out to friends, they will be there always, and honored you may want to share a memory. i was so lucky in knowing and working with you both. Think of you often, will wish Gods hand on your shoulder to ease your pain away.....................Carol Fildes
Dr. Lueking saved my life. I adore him and will always hold him dear to my heart. My condolences to his family. Rest in peace.
Sorry to hear the loss of a wonderful man, doctor, and inspiration to the community. His generosity was above and beyond anyone I know. Thoughts and prayers for the family and community as we deal with his loss during this sorrowful time.
Dr. Lueking was my Dr. when I lived in the area. I thought alot of him. He also was my sisters Dr. He helped us so much when she was first diagnosed with her cancer. I am so sorry to hear of his passing. I know he will be sadly missed.
Prayers to your family. Doc was a great man, enjoyed his teaching when I wor with him.
So sorry for your loss, our thoughts & prayers are with the family.
Pat and I were so saddened to hear of Dr. Lueking's passing. The years truly do slip by. Seems as only yesterday that Pat and Chris Mack were hired as the first RN'S in the brand new Clay Medical Center to work for Dr. Lueking and Dr. Kraynak.
We are so saddened at Dr. Lueking's passing. He was our doctor, and friend, for more than 30 years. He was with our family through a lot of laughter and a lot of tears. His kindness and compassion got us through many tough times. Thoughts and prayers are with his family. God bless Doc and God bless all of the people who loved him. He will be missed.
There are not enough words to express how Doc touched our family and our community. Doc was not only our personal physician but our friend also. He was always willing to help out however he could. I had the opportunity to work with him for MANY years and he was the backbone of our facilities for years. What a WONDERUL supportive, caring, giving man! Our family will freshly miss you Doc!! Prayers for Jacquie and each of their children! Heaven definitely gained another Angel!! RIP Doc!!
Frank & Bright Funeral Home
and Cremation Services
500 North Main Street
Flora, Illinois 62839
Phone : (618) 662-2141
Fax: (618) 662-4600
Email: [email protected]
