Joe L McCammon, Marshall, IL, died Thursday night, Oct. 31, 2013, in Union Hospital surrounded by his family. Joe was the former owner and editor of The Marshall Choice and Choice Printing in Marshall, IL. He and his wife of 54 years, Patricia "Pat" McCammon, operated this weekly newspaper and print shop from 1986 to 1996. Joe died after a four-year battle with cancer. Joe was born March 5, 1936, to Rosalie and Cecil McCammon, in West York, IL. After his parents' divorce in 1940, Joe lived with his beloved maternal grandparents Harry "Towhead" and Bertha Sellars near Annapolis, IL. Joe reunited with his mother and his stepfather, Raymond "Shorty" Bohn, three years later in Marshall, IL. Joe was a 1954 graduate of Marshall High School. Upon graduation he joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed three years in Italy. He and Pat married in 1959. Joe graduated from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, with a degree in journalism in 1962. Joe's passion and great love for telling stories, most especially sharing other people's stories, led him to a variety of positions in the field of journalism and public relations. He worked in PR for the Indiana Heart Association, Indianapolis. He served as editor of employee newspapers for the Ford Motor Company in Indianapolis and later in Detroit. Returning to Indianapolis, Joe worked for the PR firm, Caldwell VanRiper. One of his most memorable accounts was working with the Mayflower Moving Company's cross-country wagon train journey celebrating the nation's bicentennial in 1976. In late 1976, Joe and his family moved to Robinson, IL, where he worked for a daily newspaper. One year later, Joe launched his own business as a publicist and photographer. He produced publications and other materials for several hospitals, banks, and junior colleges. With the able assistance of his wife, Joe also took a myriad of wedding and sports photographs in Crawford County, IL. Joe served as the contract editor of Sweet Talk, an industrial publication of the L.S. Heath Candy Co. in Robinson. Joe's stint in small-town journalism began in earnest in 1981 when he served as editor of the county-wide Crawford Press and later The Choice, a tabloid newspaper published in Robinson. In 1986, Joe and Pat returned to their roots and established Choice Printing. Two years later they weighed anchor on their true love and greatest ambition, The Marshall Choice. The concept of this newspaper was based upon two premises: tell the local news and share the uplifting and inspiring story of at least one person each week. When asked by a local resident what he would do when he no longer had any more inspiring stories to tell, Joe replied, "Everyone has a story." He truly meant this. Joe knew he would never run out of stories to tell. Joe loved fishing, which tied in nicely with his love of tall tales. He also enjoyed target shooting. He shared these enjoyments with his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed watching football and could remember the names of coaches and players as well as recount certain plays that happened in games from days long ago. In his retirement, Joe wrote two books. His first work, The Heroes Among Us, is a compilation of the stories he penned on veterans in Crawford and Clark counties. D̩j�� Vu: Treasured Memories of an Old Country Boy, was published earlier this year. As always, his wife was a vital collaborator in each of these endeavors. Joe was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents, stepfather, and stepmother. Joe is survived by his wife, Patty, and his children, David and Jody McCammon of Powell, OH, and Connie McCammon of Terre Haute, IN. He is survived by his grandchildren, Calvin and Erin McCammon of Westerville, OH, and Jacqueline "Jackie" McCammon of Grandview, OH. His grandchildren were the apples of his eyes, and they were often the recipients of some of his inappropriate stories and long-winded jokes. Joe is also survived by many cousins and several nieces and nephews. He is also survived by two special friends, John and Irma Davis of Terre Haute, IN. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. (Central Time) Monday, Nov. 4, at Pearce Funeral Home in Marshall, IL, with Rev. John E. Davis and Rev. David Deal officiating. Burial will follow at the Marshall Cemetery with military gravesite rites by VFW Post 5975 and Clark County Post 90 of the American Legion. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. (Central Time) on Sunday, Nov. 3, at Pearce Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to your local animal shelter. Joe often thought of his four-legged companions as his best friends, and he particularly loved rescue dogs