St. Charles man drowns in Wisconsin

A day boating trip to Lake Delavan in southern Wisconsin turned tragic for a St. Charles man remembered as generous and gentle by his loved ones after he drowned Sunday.

Lloyd Cross, 49, an independent contractor who was born and raised in St. Charles, loaded up his boat Sunday and traveled with his wife and brother- and sister-in-law for a day of fun in the sun.

"It was just a one-day trip, a day out in the sun, and they had a good time," said niece Taylor Cross, 25, of St. Charles.

Until some fishing gear blew from the boat, she said. Cross jumped in to retrieve it but began to quickly drift away from the boat, she said.

As he struggled to swim back, his brother-in-law jumped into the water to help but became tired quickly, police said.

Passengers on a nearby boat pulled both men out of the water and into their boat, officials said. When police officers, along with a Walworth County sheriff's deputy, arrived on the scene, Cross was not breathing, police said.

Cross was brought back to shore and was pronounced dead after multiple attempts to revive him, officials said.

"Lloyd, he was fun loving and generous guy and well-loved by all," said his niece. "He had a gentle heart, and he was a brother, he was a husband, he was an uncle, and he was a son."

Lloyd is survived by his parents Wilson and Shirley Cross; his wife, Elizabeth; two daughters, Bailey (fiancé Joe Michaelson) Cross, and Bryanna (Dillan) Brow; stepdaughter Ricki Bevenger; stepson, Joshua Lindsay; his brother, Terry Cross and sister Jan (George) Pedersen; and four grandchildren.

A visitation is planned for 3 to 6 p.m. Friday at Yurs Funeral Home, 405 E. Main St. in St. Charles, followed by a memorial service at 6 p.m. at the funeral home.