Gary Haase

Garald W. “Gary” Haase, 60, of Geneseo, Illinois, died Saturday, July 24, 2010, at the OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria. Memorial services celebrating his life will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, August 3, at Concordia Lutheran Church, Geneseo. The Rev. Dr. John Wohlrabe will officiate. Inurnment will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Geneseo, where military honors will be accorded by the Don Cherry Geneseo VFW Post No. 5083. There will be no visitation. Per his request cremation rites have been accorded. Vandemore Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Geneseo, is assisting the family with the arrangements. Memorials may be made to the Geneseo Humane Society.

He was born March 3, 1950, in Nebraska City, Nebraska, the son of Denver and Eileen (Harris) Haase. He was a graduate of Geneseo High School. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army as a door gunner during the Vietnam War in the 1st and 9th Air Calvary. He married Janet K. Webb October 8, 2002, in Cambridge. He had been employed as an oiler for the Rock Island Arsenal for 20 years from which he retired. He was a member of Concordia Lutheran Church and the Geneseo American Legion Post No. 350. He loved traveling, gardening and talking and visiting with his Vietnam War friends.

Survivors include his dearly loved wife, Janet; stepdaughter, Julia Egyud of Adelaide, South Australia; stepson and spouse, Stephen and Kylie Egyud of Adelaide; four step-grandchildren, Jayne, Charlize, Krystalle and Zakary; dearly loved sisters and spouse, Mary Jo Orendorff of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Sherry and Gary Schultz of Ankeny, Iowa; dearly loved nieces and nephews and spouses, Andrea Orendorff and boyfriend Johnnie Walker, Brittany and Kevin Briegel, Cozette and Paul Wittman, Scott and Edna Schultz and David Schultz. He was preceded in death by his parents. He will be dearly missed by all. We love you!

Note: Gary and his sister Mary Jo attended school at Manning, Iowa. Gary was with the class of 1968, and Mary with the class of 1969.