Paul Q. Hochstatter, 95 of Mendota died March 17, 2019 at the Villas Senior Care Community, Sherman.

Mass of Christian burial will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Peterstown with Father Peter Pilon officiating. Burial will be in Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Peterstown. Visitation will be Friday from 4-7 p.m. in the Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota with a 3:15 p.m. Rosary.

Paul was born September 19, 1923 in Troy Grove Township to Benjamin and Mary (Granfield) Hochstatter. He attended grade school at Saints Peter and Paul School, Peterstown and was a 1941 graduate of Mendota High School. On September 12, 1945, he married Mary Rita Flaherty daughter of Timothy and Josephine (McGrath) Flaherty at Sacred Heart Church of Dimmick.

Paul was a lifelong farmer and believed it was right to be a good steward of the land. During the winters of 1943 and 1944 he worked at the Green River Ordinance Plant in Amboy. He also worked for Linne Implement and Bruce Waldorf in the winters. He worked with Phillip Hanson building houses in the area including his own family home.

He was a member of the Mendota Elks, and the Troy Grove Elevator Co-op where he served as President of the Board for many years. He was always willing to help a neighbor or friend when needed. They loved to travel and visited most of the U.S. and much of Europe. In later years they spent several months every winter in Daytona Beach. Paul was an avid gardener and loved his fishing trips to Minnesota and Canada.

He is survived by his wife Mary of Sherman; four daughters, Paula (Randy) Jones of Springfield, Kathy (Steve) Swan of Oswego, Joanne (Mike) Sadrakula of Arlington Heights and Becky (Brad) Townsend of Sorento; one son Bob (Cathy) Hochstatter of Bartonville; eleven grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; two sisters, Celeste Schmitt of Mendota and Jeanne Hochstatter of Milwaukee, Wis. and one foster brother, Rich Milazzo of Mendota.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, nine brothers, Curtis, Benny, Marty, Wilmer, Harold, LaVerne, Raphael, Greg and Norbert, and four sisters, Bernice Killelea, Loraine Henkel, Marilyn McInerney and Pat Love and one foster brother Ron Milazzo.

Memorials may be directed to the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, 9201 St. Francis Road, Frankfort, IL 60423