Published: January 18, 2006 10:07 am         

Fallen Marine’s funeral set for Friday

mary.kaye@register-news.com

WOODLAWN — Services for slain Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan Kyle Price are set for 1 p.m. Friday at Woodlawn Christian Church.

Price, 19, son of David Price of Indianapolis and Cheryl (Wall) Price Hunsell and stepson of John Hunsell, was killed Friday while shielding Marine engineers from enemy gunfire near Ramadi in Iraq.

Visitation will start at 4 p.m. Thursday at Central Christian Church in Mt. Vernon. Harold Engle and the Rev. Mike Wall will officiate the funeral.

Burial will be at Knob Prairie Cemetery, south of Illinois 15 and south on Hall Road. The funeral procession will pause at Price’s home along the route, according to Jeremy Lewis of Hughey Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements.

Price will be transported about 9 a.m. Friday from Mt. Vernon to Woodlawn Christian Church in preparation for the funeral. Those who would like to honor Kyle may line the route from Mt. Vernon to Woodlawn.

“The family requests that everyone respect the mourners and allow space for people to pay their respects,” Lewis said. “All behavior during the time of mourning must be orderly and in honor of Kyle.”

John Hunsell said his son’s body was returned to the United States on Monday and will arrive this evening at Lambert Airport in St. Louis. The family will gather at the airport this evening, prior to Price’s body being escorted back to Jefferson County.

“Without the help of others, we would not have been able to get through this,” Hunsell said Tuesday night. “The outpouring of support has left us in awe. We have a houseful here again tonight. You don’t know what all this has meant to us. The media has also been wonderful to us.”

At the close of the Mt. Vernon City Council meeting Tuesday night, Mayor Milt Sees offered his condolences.

“There really isn’t anything that can be done to alleviate the agony of the family,” Sees said. “But I know the people of this community will wrap themselves around that family and will lift them up with prayer. Hopefully, this will help ease the loss.

“This is the first casualty from our county (during this war), and I hope with all my heart it is the last,” the mayor said.

n Full obituary information is on Page 2A.

     

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