Robert C. Genzen
From the Daily Pantagraph, Bloomington, IL. Friday, Sept. 27, 1997

The funeral of Robert C. "Bob" Genzen, 65, of 501 S. Morris Ave., Bloomington, IL. and more recently of Greensboro, NC., will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Metzler-Froelich Memorial Home, Bloomington, the Rev. Ernest L. Gerike officiating. Burial will be in Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. today in the memorial home and one hour prior to the service on Saturday in the memorial home.

He died at 12:48 a.m. Wednesday, September 24, 1997, at Wesley Long Community Hospital, Greensboro, NC. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.

Surviving is his wife, Donna Tarvin Genzen, Bloomington; two daughters, Sharon Washburn, Normal; and Julie (Seth) Schelich, Columbia, MO; a son Darren Genzen, Bloomington; three brothers, Lester and Virgil Genzen, both of Manning, Iowa; and Ivan Genzen, Manilla, Iowa; three sisters, Lucille Pfannkuch and Odessa Vinke both of Manning, Iowa; and LaVonne Gehlsen, Westside, Iowa.

Also surviving are four grandchildren, Justin Barbour, Zachary, Kenneth and Erin Washburn; and a great-grandson Matthew Robert Barbour.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers: Elmer who died at the age of two and Arthur who died at the age of 16.

Mr. Genzen was born September 19, 1932 at Manning, Iowa, a son of Albert M. and Bertha (Grimm) Genzen. He married Donna Tarvin December 12, 1953, at Bloomington. Mr. Genzen was a former member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Bloomington.

He had formerly worked as driver for Irvin Brothers Pepsi Cola, and RaJac Distributing Co., both in Bloomington and most recently as a driver for Modern Garbage in Greensboro, NC.

Bob was a loving husband, an adoring dad and grandpa and an avid Chicago sports fan.


Inside the memorial pamphlet that visitors received at the funeral home was the following passage:

We little knew that morning
God was going to call your name
In life, we loved you dearly;
In death, we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you.
You did not go alone,
For part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.

You left us with beautiful memories;
Your love is still our guide.
And though we cannot see you,
You are always by our side;
Our family chain is broken,
And nothing seems the same
But as the Lord call us one by one,
The chain will link again.