Clifford Gene “Cliff” Schiller, 82, of Oblong, IL, passed away at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2026, at his home in Oblong.
Cliff was born on July 12, 1944, in Monterey, CA, the son of Charles C. and Marguerite (Biggs) Schiller. He married Yvonne A. (Guyer) Newlin on September 14, 1968, in Annapolis, IL. He later married Peggy L. (Albert) Finn on November 24, 1995, in Las Vegas, NV.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy Schiller of Oblong; one son, Rod (Diana) Schiller of Oblong; one daughter, Jodi (Joey) Allen of Dayton, OH; one stepdaughter, Shelby (Joshua) Dersch of St. Charles, MO; seven grandchildren, Jessica Bell of Robinson, IL, Brooke Allen of Charlotte, NC, Claire (Mason) Adams of Dayton, OH, Gracie Allen of Dayton, OH, Brittney (Calvin) Murray of Oblong, IL, Elija (Ashley) Plummer of Oblong, IL, and Elias Dersch of St. Charles, MO; nine great-grandchildren; one sister, Jan Jennings of Flora, IL; along with several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his twin brother, Charles “Chuck” Schiller.
Cliff graduated from Oblong High School in 1962. He proudly served for six years in the Indiana Air National Guard. Following his military service, he began a long career with Marathon in Robinson, IL, where he worked in the maintenance department for 33 years before retiring in 1999.
Cliff was a member of the First Christian Church of Oblong and the Oblong American Legion Post 219. He had also been a member of the Oblong Ruritan Club and the Jaycees. He was proud of his community and the connections he made throughout his life in the Oblong area. His family and friends will cherish the memories they shared with him and the many years he spent as a part of their lives.
Cliff had a passion for animals and the outdoors that started early in his life with chores of milking the cows at their farm before attending school as a young boy in the one-room school in Bellair. He was active in 4H with livestock showing and judging which led to him receiving the Outstanding 4H Boy for Crawford County in 1963. He showed cattle and other animals throughout his 4H times, which included multiple trips to the state fair. In 1998, he was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for his lifelong service to 4H by the Illinois Extension Office. In adulthood, he turned that interested to breeding Registered Appaloosa horses on the “Shady S Farm”, as well as breeding German short-haired pointers. He trained the pointers himself with the quail that he raised on the farm. Like many things he did, he did it well and was regarded as one of the best trainers around. In 1977, he turned that passion to the commercial rabbit community. That is where he really began to show his talents for breeding champions. “Schiller’s Rabbitry” was born. It started as 4H projects for Rod and Jodi where winning the Illinois State Fair was the grand
prize for multiple years. In 1979, he started taking his stock to the National Rabbit Breeders Association (NRBA). For the next 40 years, his Californians won as National Championships more than a dozen times and people from around the United States came to the little town of Oblong to purchase his bloodline which is still active in the breeding community to this day. Cliff was recognized for his lifelong commitment to raising pedigreed/registered National Champions, being named Man of the Year in 1989 by the National Californian Rabbit Breeders Club, an honor that he cherished.
Cliff was a family man. He loved his “people”, who were both family and friends. He spent countless hours gathered with them around tables playing Rook, Euchre, Pinochle, or just about any card game. He had a passion for hunting deer and enjoyed many years of group hunting with his buddies in cabins and fields throughout Crawford and surrounding counties. When Spring hit, he was an avid morel mushroom hunter……… some would swear he could smell them. His children and grandchildren were the apples of his eye. He spent his time with them telling stories, sharing his love of ice cream, playing cards, and simply loving them. Once you were one of his “people”, you knew and felt it.
Military rites for Cliff will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Pulliam Funeral Home, 302 E. Main St., Oblong, IL 62449, followed by a memorial service with Brother Phil Boyd officiating. Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the funeral home. Inurnment will take place privately at a later date in Oblong Cemetery, Oblong, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Christian Church of Oblong, 104 W. Ohio St., Oblong, IL 62449, or the Oblong Community Christian Food Pantry, 112 N. Range St., Oblong, IL 62449. Memorial envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
Pulliam Funeral Home, Oblong is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.
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