Lowell Lathrop Hayes, 93, of Kings, Illinois, passed away peacefully at home on August 30, 2022. Born in Kings, Illinois, on June 18, 1929, he was the son of Earl Hayes and Amy (Lathrop) Hayes and brother to Adelaide (Pablo) Chavez, Emery (Jeannine Tegner) Hayes, and LaVonne (Earl) Huebner.

Lowell graduated with a BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Economics and was one of a select few students who worked The Morrow Plots. He often reflected on his time hitchhiking from Kings to Champaign, as well as his time as a dishwasher for one of the sororities on campus as his way to pay for school. His fondness of the University was always present as he was often seen sporting his Fighting Illini gear and watching their football games.

One of the most impactful parts of Lowell's life was his patriotism and love of country. He served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1954 as combat infantry during the Korean War (October 1952 to July 1953) in the 7th Infantry Division, 32nd Regiment, Companies A and D. Lowell was the machine gun section leader on Old Baldy, Iron Triangle, and Pork Chop Hill and received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with a V device for Valor. In 2013, Lowell and his wife, along with his son and daughter-in-law, traveled to Seoul, South Korea to participate in The Revisit Korea Program put on by the Republic of Korea (ROK) government as a means to say thank you to all UN veterans of the Korean War and their family members. Lowell was quite surprised when he was welcomed into ROK and constantly given thanks for his service.

As a life-long farmer, Lowell always believed hard work and dedication will take you far. He began farming with his father from a very young age, raising oats, corn, hay, and beef cattle. Lowell then went on as an adult to farm Hayes and Hayes Farms with his son, Mark, where the tradition of hard work and dedication continued to the next generation, farming corn and soybeans and raising hogs, eventually focusing on no-till crops and ground conservation.

Lowell continued his education throughout his years as an avid reader and researcher of economics, farming, politics, and history. In addition to being a farmer, he was the patriarch of the Hayes clan, raising two generations of kids with his wife, Jeanne, and instilled the importance of family and taking care of one another in each of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Lowell and Jeanne volunteered for many years at Iron Mountain Hospital where they would take other veterans to physical therapy and bring them lunch; he would spend much of that time talking with the veteran patients who often had no one else to talk to, a cause to which he was deeply committed.

Lowell is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Jeanne (Lasher, Hubbard) Hayes, his son, Mark (Danette) Hayes, and daughters, Jodi Appel and Viki (Larry) Bigelow, his grandchildren, Amanda (Isaac) Rudolph, Laura (Richard) Hines, Nicholas (Michelle Brackey) Fry, Thomas (Alma) Bigelow, and Amy (Jason) Bigelow-Rybacki, and his many beloved great-grandchildren. Lowell was also a mentor to many local "kids" in the community, including his "second son" Lynn Blackmore, always sharing his life, experiences, and strength with them.

Lowell would always tell people, "I'm just an old soldier; I try to serve where I can." He may have thought of himself as "just an old soldier," but to his family, friends, and community, he was a true hero.

The visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:30 P.M., Friday, September 9, 2022 at the Unger-Horner Funeral Home, 400 N. 6th St., Rochelle. A service will be held at a future time with interment following in Arlington National Cemetery. Memorials may be made to OSF St. Anthony Hospital in Lowell's memory. Visit www.ungerhorner.com to sign the online guest book.