We Mourn, We Honor, We Remember
The Laborers’ Midwest Region Scholarship Fund was established on September 1, 1999, with the sole purpose of providing scholarships and educational opportunities to the families of Midwest LiUNA members who were killed or permanently disabled while at work in service to their union. The Midwest Region includes the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and South Dakota. For more information, call 1-800-218-2253.
Click here for a scholarship application.
Notes From Our Students
Receiving this financial assistance from a source that my father has poured his heart and soul into would be a dream come true. I greatly appreciate your generosity and I cannot express through words just how much gratitude I have to be presented this opportunity. Thank you.
Matthew Wyatt Rowen
“Michael [DeDeckers] lives in Florida and now teaches 7th and 8th-grade math. Without the assistance of the Laborers’ Scholarship, his educational journey would have been significantly more difficult, if not impossible.”
Salle DeDecker (Michael’s Grandmother)
What the Midwest Laborers Union Scholarship has meant to me is many things, but the biggest one is the offer of financial relief. Being as young and as on my own as I am, if I were to not have this scholarship, I would be left owing 8k a year, which I would struggle to pay as I cannot take out loans. Being able to attend a great University with no financial burdens means the world to me.
Hanna Lime
Early in the fall semester of my Sophomore year at Monmouth College my dad Mike Thomas was killed in an automobile accident. I was unaware that his death made me eligible for a Laborers’ Midwest Region Scholarship. I was made aware of this through contact initiated by LiUNA. I ended up receiving five semesters of support, and this additional money made it possible for me to complete my education (in four years) without excessive student loan debt. After graduation, I pursued a teaching certificate in the state of Florida. I am happy to say that I am currently a 6th-grade math teacher as well as a basketball coach. I know my Dad would be proud of me and I am grateful to his union for helping me toward my goals.
Thank you,
Michael DeDecker-Thomas
This semester, FAFSA decided not to give me any student aid; getting the laborers scholarship will help immensely in my pursuit to get my bachelors degree. The money I will receive from the laborers will help cut the cost of student loans I have to get. I can’t thank you guys enough for giving me this scholarship.
Cory Kirwan
We cannot thank you enough for your generous scholarship help with Cory’s college education. It is also heartwarming to both of us that this is a scholarship awarded because his dad was a Laborer. That means so much! Thank you!
Caren and Cory Kirwan
The Laborers’ Scholarship was such a blessing to me each semester that I was working on my undergraduate degree. I was able to greatly reduce the payments that I have made toward my university by being awarded this scholarship semester after semester. In addition to the obvious benefits of a scholarship, this also helped me be able to save money for graduate school, which I am beginning now! Even more, the process to apply is simple and gets even simpler after the first time. It hardly takes any time but brings such a great reward. The staff involved are also so helpful and kind, which really made a difference to me. Overall, the scholarship made such a difference in my undergraduate career!
Thank you,
MacKenzi (Hall) Nomura
I am immensely thankful to the wonderful people at LiUNA for providing me with this scholarship over the course of my undergraduate studies. By helping to offset the costs of my degree, including textbook reimbursement, achieving my degrees in English and History from Andrews University was much less financially stressful. The process of acquiring the scholarship, patiently coordinated by the staff, is impressively streamlined, which is so helpful in the chaos of preparing for a semester of school. Thanks in part to LiUNA, I am now happily teaching a college composition course while pursuing an MA in English. I remain eternally grateful to LiUNA’s assistance.
Dakota Hall
We honor the following Laborers:
(Scroll to the bottom to see a full list sorted alphabetically with last name first.)
Great Plains Laborers’ District Council
Michael Reynolds, Local 32, died October 26, 1999
John “Johnny” Dwaine Warren, Local 1140, died November 7, 1999
Della Radtke, Local 751, died June 25, 2001
Benny Jass, Local 32, died August 1, 2002
John Crozier, Local 911, died May 23, 2003
Bob Schmitt, Local 165, died June 11, 2003
Garland Gwaltney, Local 393, died March 3, 2004
Ed Kirwan, Local 165, died July 1, 2005
Jason Todd Donaldson, Local 177, died January 24, 2007
Robert Thierer, Local 165, died July 27, 2009
Michael Holloway, Local 727, died September 16, 2009
Robert Nava,Sr., Local 309, died March 23, 2010
Jorge Morales, Local 430, died October 15, 2011
James A. Davis, Local 231, died September 20, 2012
Robert Schwarz, Local 727, died May 24, 2016
Willie N. Holley, Local 309, died September 1, 2016
Jack W. Botkin, Local 309, died August 23, 2019
Larry Williams, Local 362, died June 9, 2020
Richard Southerland, Local 231, died September 19, 2021
Ryan Matthew Krupianik, Local 751, died September 30, 2022
Indiana Laborers’ District Council
Paul Jackson, Local 274, died February 29, 2000
Jonathan Northcutt, Local 274, died June 27, 2000
Joshua Beck, Local 204, died August 16, 2000
Michael Witvoet, Local 741, died December 15, 2000
Michael Davis, Local 81, died February 2, 2001
Alex R. Dotson, Local 741, died June 8, 2001
Clarence David Stawderman, Local 645, died July 19, 2001
Joseph R. Hainey, Local 741, died August 14, 2001
Moman “Lee” Blair, Local 561, died August 28, 2001
Glenda Sue Martin-Long, Local 120, died November 8, 2002
Bob Pickett, Local 41, died August 11, 2003
Robert Garrett, Local 274, died in 2004
Brian Rea, Local 204, died January 30, 2006
Jason Soots, Local 120, died June 23, 2006
Danita Hall, Local 795, died July 13, 2006
David Terry, Local 561, died July 13, 2006
Martin Fassoth, Local 81, died August 4, 2006
Ralph RiffleJr., Local 274, died November 10, 2006
James P. Searing, Local 204, died April 6, 2007
David R. Day, Local 274, died September 17, 2007
Ricardo Rodriquez, Local 81, died February 18, 2008
Steven A. Lime, Local 795, died August 12, 2008
Edward A. Mendenhall, Local 120, died November 7, 2008
Christopher Jenkins, Local 81, died March 16, 2010
Roger Sadler, Local 81, died April 30, 2010
Matthew Hayden, Local 561, died May 3, 2010
Jeremy Bagwell, Local 274, died June 8, 2011
Juan Hernandez, Local 274, died October 6, 2011
David Anderson, Local 120, died April 16, 2012
Arthur Shane Kerns, Local 81, died November 30, 2012
Coty J. DeMoss, Local 274, died May 9, 2014
Kenneth E. Jr Duerson, Local 120, died May 9, 2014
William “Issac” Simpson, Local 120, died June 13, 2014
Jose Garza, Local 645
Brandon Fiscus, Local 645, died October 12, 2016
Raymond D. Lewis, Local 645, died December 7, 2016
William Brown, Jr., Local 741, died April 25, 2018
Justin Nance, Local 1112, died Nov. 7, 2018
Benjamin W. Fisher, Local 645, died July 26, 2019
Cedric T. Barnett, Local 645, died August 23, 2019
Micheal Ramos, Local 213, died March 17, 2020
Ryan Greer, Local 645, died May 22, 2020
Brian C. Fights, Local 213, died May 26, 2020
Larry Stinson, Local 120, died December 16, 2022
Southwest Laborers’ District Council
Fermin Chantaca, Local 154, died August 1, 2012
Lorenzo Hernandez-Rosas, Local 154, died August 12, 2013
David P. Perez, Local 154, died August 12, 2013
Anthony Hibbing, Local 692, died October 16, 2017
Kevin Johnson, Local 350, died August 17, 2018
Missouri and Kansas Laborers’ District Council
Michael Scott, Local 663, died October 26, 1999
Chad Hendrix, Local 660, died November 11, 1999
Mark Pauley, Local 663, died August 1, 2000
John Distefano, Local 830, died March 1, 2001
William Martin, Local 53, died May 4, 2001
Daniel Vonderhaar, Local 42, died September 21, 2001
Javier Perez, Local 42, died October 24, 2001
Jerry Vaughn, Local 829, died April 4, 2002
Michael Wesley Davis, Local 110, died May 1, 2002
Charles Taube, Local 579, died June 21, 2002
Daniel Gene Grasshoff, Local 110, died July 8, 2002
Jeffrey L. Ireland, Local 663, died October 30, 2002
Darrell Mathia, Local 1290, died March 31, 2004
Douglas Parker, Local 663, died August 2, 2004
Jeff Staley, Local 110, died May 24, 2006
Sidney Taylor, Local 42, died December 18, 2006
Wayne Price, Local 663, died November 20, 2007
Mikey W. Wagoner, Local 840, died September 25, 2008
Connie Munton, Local 916, died May 19, 2009
Joshua Hack, Local 110, died June 10, 2009
Patrick Bray, Local 660, died June 10, 2013
Dustin Reed Frisbee, Local 264, died October 15, 2013
Andrew Horning, Local 264, died October 15, 2013
John Edward Hahl, Local 829, died April 11, 2014
Christopher Rawson, Local 829, died April 11, 2014
Michael Snider, Local 663, died June 24, 2015
John Johnson, Local 955, died November 11, 2015
DJ Griesenauer, Local 42, April 19, 2016
Matt VanLew, Local 663, died April 28, 2016
Robert Hoke, Local 110, died August 15, 2016
Doug Gray, Local 42, died December 8, 2016
Ronald G. Pointer, Local 42, died August 2, 2018
Matthew Michael Rowen, Local 264, died March 5, 2019
Douglas Bentley, Local 1290, died October 29, 2022
Southern and Central Illinois Laborers’ District Council
Jimmy Rice, Local 1280, died October 15, 1999
John D. Bramlet, Local 803, died May 16, 2000
Joseph MillerJr., Local 624, died July 31, 2001
Norman Griswold, Local 477, died October 15, 2001
Bobby Johnson, Local 1197, died February 13, 2002
Roger Hart, Local 171, died October 10, 2003
Jason Dilley, Local 1197, died August 29, 2008
Shane Holsey, Local 1197, died October 7, 2008
Clifford R. Denson, Local 159, died July 30, 2010
Michael Thomas, Local 773, died September 9, 2010
Linda Fegett, Local 624, died May 2, 2011
Michael James Cordray, Local 159, died February 6, 2013
Roger Creason, Local 477, died October 26, 2015
Mark McCoy, Local 1197, died August 29, 2016
Troy D. Dolen, Local 477, died August 29, 2016
David Williams, Local 773, died February 14, 2021
Darrell McCammack, Local 1197, died September 26, 2022
Southwest Illinois Laborers’ District Council
Dennis Beard, Local 100, died May 22, 2012
Greg Mehochko, Local 670, died January 23, 2013
Max D. Beare III, Local 100, died February 5, 2013
Joe Belcher, Local 100, died July 29, 2015
A complete list, sorted alphabetically by last name:
Anderson, David, Local 120, died April 16, 2012
Bagwell, Jeremy, Local 274, died June 8, 2011
Barnett, Cedric, Local 645, died August 23, 2019
Beard, Dennis, Local 100, died May 22, 2012
Beare III, Max D., Local 100, died February 5, 2013
Beck, Joshua, Local 204, died August 16, 2000
Belcher, Joe, Local 100, died July 29, 2015
Bentley, Douglas, Local 1290, died October 29, 2022
Blair, Moman “Lee,” Local 561, died August 28, 2001
Botkin, Jack, Local 309, died August 23, 2019
Bramlet, John D., Local 803, died May 16, 2000
Bray, Patrick, Local 660, died June 10, 2013
Brown, Jr., William, Local 741, died April 25, 2018
Chantaca, Fermin, Local 154, died August 1, 2012
Cordray, Michael James, Local 159, died February 6, 2013
Roger Creason, Local 477, died October 26, 2015
Crozier, John , Local 911, died May 23, 2003
Davis, James A., Local 231, died September 20, 2012
Davis, Michael, Local 81, died February 2, 2001
Davis, Michael Wesley, Local 110, died May 1, 2002
Day, David R., Local 274, died September 17, 2007
DeMoss, Coty J., Local 274, died May 9, 2014
Denson, Clifford R., Local 159, died July 30, 2010
Dilley, Jason, Local 1197, died August 29, 2008
Distefano, John, Local 830, died March 1, 2001
Dolen, Troy D., Local 477, died August 29, 2016
Donaldson, Jason Todd, Local 177, died January 24, 2007
Dotson, Alex R., Local 741, died June 8, 2001
Duerson, Kenneth E. Jr, Local 120, died May 9, 2014
Fassoth, Martin, Local 81, died August 4, 2006
Fegett, Linda, Local 624, died May 2, 2011
Fights, Brian C., Local 213, died May 26, 2020
Fiscus, Brandon, Local 645, died October 12, 2016
Fisher, Benjamin, Local 645, died July 26, 2019
Frisbee, Dustin Reed, Local 264, died October 15, 2013
Garrett, Robert, Local 274, died in 2004
Garza, Jose, Local 645
Grasshoff, Daniel Gene, Local 110, died July 8, 2002
Gray, Doug, Local 42, died December 8. 2016
Greer, Ryan, Local 645, died May 22, 2020
Griesenauer, DJ, Local 42, April 19, 2016
Griswold, Norman, Local 477, died October 15, 2001
Gwaltney, Garland, Local 393, died March 3, 2004
Hack, Joshua, Local 110, died June 10, 2009
Hahl, John Edward, Local 829, died April 11, 2014
Hainey, Joseph R., Local 741, died August 14, 2001
Hall, Danita, Local 795, died July 13, 2006
Hart, Roger, Local 171, died October 10, 2003
Hayden, Matthew, Local 561, died May 3, 2010
Hendrix, Chad, Local 660, died November 11, 1999
Hernandez, Juan, Local 274, died October 6, 2011
Hernandez-Rosas, Lorenzo, Local 154, died August 12, 2013
Hibbing, Anthony, Local 692, died October 16, 2017
Hoke, Robert, Local 110, died August 15, 2016
Holley, Willie N., Local 309, died September 1, 2016
Holloway, Michael, Local 727, died September 16, 2009
Holsey, Shane, Local 1197, died October 7, 2008
Horning, Andrew, Local 264, died October 15, 2013
Ireland, Jeffrey L., Local 663, died October 30, 2002
Jackson, Paul, Local 274, died February 29, 2000
Jass, Benny, Local 32, died August 1, 2002
Jenkins, Christopher, Local 81, died March 16, 2010
Johnson, Bobby, Local 1197, died February 13, 2002
Johnson, John, Local 955, died November 11, 2015
Johnson, Kevin, Local 350, died August 17, 2018
Kerns, Arthur Shane, Local 81, died November 30, 2012
Kirwan, Ed, Local 165, died July 1, 2005
Krupianik, Ryan Matthew, Local 751, died September 30, 2022
Lewis, Raymond D., Local 645, died December 7, 2016
Lime, Steven A., Local 795, died August 12, 2008
Martin, William, Local 53, died May 4, 2001
Martin-Long, Glenda Sue, Local 120, died November 8, 2002
Mathia, Darrell, Local 1290, died March 31, 2004
McCammack, Darrell, Local 1197, died September 26, 2022
McCoy, Mark, Local 1197, died August 29, 2016
Mehochko, Greg, Local 670, died January 23, 2013
Mendenhall, Edward A., Local 120, died November 7, 2008
Miller Jr., Joseph, Local 624, died July 31, 2001
Morales, Jorge, Local 430, died October 15, 2011
Munton, Connie, Local 916, died May 19, 2009
Nance, Justin, Local 1112, died Nov. 7, 2018
Nava, Sr., Robert, Local 309, died March 23, 2010
Northcutt, Jonathan, Local 274, died June 27, 2000
Parker, Douglas, Local 663, died August 2, 2004
Pauley, Mark, Local 663, died August 1, 2000
Perez, David P., Local 154, died August 12, 2013
Perez, Javier, Local 42, died October 24, 2001
Pickett, Bob, Local 41, died August 11, 2003
Pointer, Ronald G., Local 42, died August 2, 2018
Price, Wayne, Local 663, died November 20, 2007
Radtke, Della, Local 751, died June 25, 2001
Ramos, Micheal, Local 213, died March 17, 2020
Rawson, Christopher, Local 829, died April 11, 2014
Rea, Brian , Local 204, died January 30, 2006
Reynolds, Michael, Local 32, died October 26, 1999
Rice, Jimmy, Local 1280, died October 15, 1999
Riffle Jr., Ralph, Local 274, died November 10, 2006
Rodriquez, Ricardo, Local 81, died February 18, 2008
Rowen, Matthew Michael, Local 264, died March 5, 2019
Sadler, Roger, Local 81, died April 30, 2010
Schmitt, Bob, Local 165, died June 11, 2003
Schwartz, Robert, Local 727, died May 24, 2016
Scott, Michael , Local 663, died October 26, 1999
Searing, James P., Local 204, died April 6, 2007
Simpson, William “Issac,” Local 120, died June 13, 2014
Snider, Michael, Local 663, died June 24, 2015
Soots, Jason, Local 120, died June 23, 2006
Southerland, Richard, Local 231, died September 19, 2021
Staley, Jeff, Local 110, died May 24, 2006
Stinson, Larry, Local 120, died December 16, 2022
Stawderman, Clarence David, Local 645, died July 19, 2001
Taube, Charles, Local 579, died June 21, 2002
Taylor, Sidney, Local 42, died December 18, 2006
Terry, David, Local 561, died July 13, 2006
Thierer, Robert, Local 165, died July 27, 2009
Thomas, Michael, Local 773, died September 9, 2010
VanLew, Matt, Local 663, died April 28, 2016
Vaughn, Jerry, Local 829, died April 4, 2002
Vonderhaar, Daniel , Local 42, died September 21, 2001
Wagoner, Mikey W., Local 840, died September 25, 2008
Warren, John “Johnny” Dwaine, Local 1140, died November 7, 1999
Williams, David, Local 773, died February 14, 2021
Williams, Larry, Local 362, died June 9, 2020
Witvoet, Michael, Local 741, died December 15, 2000
