Joseph Lindrus Blagg, 96, born March 1, 1930 in Ashmore Township went to be with the Lord April 18, 2026. He grew up on the Blagg family farm in Clark County, Illinois with his parents Clyde and Mabel Blagg and 2 siblings. Joe has been a long time resident of Clark County. He joined the Marines in 1951 and in 1952 was stationed on the USS Randall where he made 9 trips to Yokohama, Japan moving more than 1.500 troops back and forth between Japan and the United States. After the Marines Joe moved back to Clark County and took over the family farm where he and his wife, Mary raised 3 children. He also worked at Eli Lily and retired from there in 1990. He was a lifetime member of the VFW, belonged to the American Legion for 48 years and joined Saint Mary’s Church in Marshall, Illinois in 1953. Upon retirement Joe began visiting his adult children in Arizona where he then split his time between Mesa, Arizona and his farm in Clark County. Our dad hated the cold weather and wanted to be outside having new experiences. Our dad lived adventure, fun, and being surrounded by family and friends. Age did not matter to him, he was ageless. He enjoyed hiking the mountains in Arizona and snow skiing in Northern Arizona. You could find him roller blading through the Arizona Parks or taking a Segway tour through the Arizona desert. He enjoyed taking his family and friends to dinner shows, concerts, and out to eat. However his biggest passion other than family and friends was water skiing at Mill Creek Lake. He was an excellent slalom skier and could out ski all his children. Joe loved being on the lake and skiing or teaching someone else how to ski was his favorite thing to do. We can’t even count how many people Joe got out on that lake and taught how to ski, kneeboard, and tube. It has been said that on April 18, 2026 God tossed down a ski rope and asked if he wanted to ski in to heaven. His family joked many times about him having 9 lives because he did everything fast and if you knew our dad safety was never his first concern. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, 3 siblings, and his wife, Ruby. Joe is survived by his 3 children, Joe Alan (Carrie), Cindy (Jim), and Annette (Gregg), whom he shared with his former wife Mary, who preceded him in death. He is also survived by grandchildren, great grandchildren, and a step daughter. Visitation will be held at Pearce Funeral Home on June 8, 2026 from 9:00 am until 11:15 am followed by a mass at 11:30 am at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church. Burial with military graveside rites will follow. A luncheon will be served at Saint Mary’s parish hall following the burial.