Rodney Scott Stephens

Rodney Scott Stephens, 38, of West York, IL, died at 5:07 a.m. on Thursday, November 30, 2017 in Lawrence County, IL. He was born July 26, 1979 in Robinson, IL, the son of Martin Duane Stephens & Roberta Eileen (Elliott) Stephens, both of whom survive. He married Marta Darline Breneman on April 2, 2016, and she too survives. He is also survived by his brother & sister-in-law, Dustin & Suzette Stephens and son Maverick (Robinson, IL); by his maternal grandmother, Maxine Elliott (Annapolis, IL); by a large extended family and a special group of life-long friends; as well as his very-spoiled dog, Draco. Rodney was a 1997 graduate of Hutsonville High School. He furthered his education at Lakeland College, where he graduated in 1999, having received the Outstanding Student Award. He went on to work in the agriculture industry in a number of capacities. He served an apprenticeship with his uncle and mentor, Jamie Stephens for a time before getting on at Bane-Welker Equipment in Terre Haute, IN. Since 2015, he’s worked as shop manager for MacAllister Machinery in Washington, IN. Away from work, Rodney could often be found outdoors. He truly found joy in being outside, surrounding himself with all of nature and its wildlife. He also loved to find adventure in traveling, and though he’d been all over North America, he felt especially at home in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. Back at home, he spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen, and was an ace cook and canner. His specialty was smoked brisket, which has become the stuff of legend. Anyone who knew him could attest to the fact that Rodney held firm to his beliefs, and passionately debated them with his friends, family, and anyone who would listen. He was a conversationalist through and through, and could take a ten-minute talk and turn it into a ten-hour discussion. Throughout his life, it was abundantly clear that his priorities always centered around relationships. He was a strong, but thoughtful soul who was loyal to those he cared for. His legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved Rodney Stephens. A time of visitation will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 4th at the Prust-Hosch Funeral Home in West Union. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 5th at the funeral home with Rev. Dr. Dan Lamey officiating the service. In honor of his love of the Osa Peninsula, memorials may be made to the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary, an enterprise wholly committed to providing wildlife rescue and rehabilitation for orphaned, injured and displaced animals indigenous to the southern zone of Costa Rica. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.