Lonnie Ray Wall

Lonnie Ray Wall, 61, of Porterville, IL, passed away on January 8, 2026, in the comfort of his home. He was born on December 18, 1964, in Oblong, the son of Stephen L. "Steve" & Nancy Lee (Richey) Wall. He grew up on the family farm, and as a teenager, there was nothing he liked more than helping his dad with the work that needed done. It suited him: the early mornings, the steady routine, the satisfaction of seeing something through. Even as a young man, Lonnie was old school, stubborn in the way that usually meant he was determined, too.

He graduated from Oblong High School and spent a season working in the oil field before getting on at TRW. Over the next two decades, he put in his time on the assembly line, working hard and showing up day after day. Later, a stroke changed the shape of his life and left him disabled, but it did not change who he was at his core. Lonnie still found ways to make life his own.

And Lonnie had plenty of life in him.

If you knew him, you knew he could talk to anybody. He did not know a stranger, and if he ran into you out and about, he could strike up a conversation like you had been friends for years. He had a sense of humor that did not wait for ideal circumstances, either. He could find something to laugh about in any season, and he even made jokes about his cancer, because he refused to let it be the only thing said about him. One thing that could be said about him was that he was unafraid of letting his opinions be known, especially on Facebook. Lonnie did not tiptoe around what he thought. If he believed it, you were probably going to hear it, and you were going to hear it the Lonnie way: direct, certain, and without much need for back-and-forth.

That was part of how he made life his own. Lonnie was old school, and he liked old school things, the kind of things with weight to them. He collected coins and currency of all kinds, gold, silver, and anything worth adding to the collection. He liked old trucks, especially his old Squarebody, and he was a die-hard Harley man through and through. And even when he was not headed anywhere in particular, he still liked to get out and drive around town just to drive around, because some days, that was enough.

After all, Lonnie tried to live life to the fullest each day. Yes, he was set in his ways and set in his mind, but there was something honest in that. He knew who he was. He knew what mattered to him. And he found ways, even in the hard parts, to keep living like Lonnie.

He is survived by his son & daughter-in-law, Willie & Lesley Wall; by his grandchildren, Raylie Wall, Colton & Morgan Hites, and Kelsey Hites; by his great-grandchildren, Bryson Hites and Caselynn Hites; by his mother, Nancy Wall; by his brothers & sisters-in-law, Richie & Kim Wall, Monty & Thelma Wall; as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Jared Wall (in infancy), and his father, Steve Wall.

It was his wish to be cremated without a public service. The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is assisting the family at this time.