GENZ, Herbert William 1897-1995

GENZ, BREDT, SCHLITTER, DELLA, BALICHEK, YEOMAN, JONES, MOSHER, LEIGHT, CHAPIN

Posted By: Connie L. Ellis (email)
Date: 5/4/2019 at 19:11:56

SOURCE: QUAD CITY TIMES, newspaper, Moline, Illinois, January 12, 1995 issue
Contributor: Connie L. Ellis (Schlitter Family Researcher)

Services for Herbert W. Genz, age 97, East Moline,Illinois, formerly of Allamakee County, Iowa were held on Friday, January 13, 1995 at 9:00 a.m. at the McGinnis, Chambers, and Sass Funeral Home in Bettendorf, Iowa with burial at 2:00 p.m. at the Sixteen Cemetery, rural Linton Township, Allamakee County, Iowa with military rites conducted by the Harpers Ferry American Legion Post #722.

Herbert William Genz died on Tuesday, January 10, 1995 at the East Moline Care Center. He was born on March 17, 1897 in McGregor, Iowa, the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Bredt) Genz. He married Carolyn E. "Carrie" Schlitter on April 7, 1920 in Davenport, Iowa. Carrie died in 1951 and in 1952 he married Lorrene Della Leight in Davenport. She died in 1987.

Herb was employed as an electric crane operator for 20 years at the former International Harvestor Company - Farmall Plant in Rock Island, Illinois, retiring in 1964. He was a World War I Army Veteran, serving with the Army's 126th Field Artillery. While on his way to combat in Europe, he was involved in the worst disaster to befall American troops at sea during the war. He was aboard the HMS Kashmir when it crashed into the HMS Ontranto, killing 120 American soldiers and 46 sailors from other countries.

On his 97th birthday, he was awarded the 75th Anniversary of World War I Commemorative Medal by the members of Davenport's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 828 for his courage, dedication, and sacrifice while serving in the war. The medal was a gift of the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation of Chicago for living World War I veterans. He was an avid bingo player and fisherman.

Herbert William Genz is survived by his two daughters and son-in-law, Evelyn and George Balichek of Oxford Junction, Iowa and Bernice "Bonnie" Yeoman of Rock Island, Illinois; sons and daughter-in-law Wayne Genz of Monona, Iowa and Roland and Ilene Genz of Harpers Ferry, Iowa; step-daughters Eldean Jones of LeClaire, Iowa and Linda Mosher of East Moline, Illinois; step-sons Keith Leight of Moline, Illinois and Don Leight of East Moline, Illinois; 15 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, eight great-great grandchildren, and several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren. Besides his two wives, he was preceded in death by his infant daughter Donna Mae who died in 1931; his sons-in-law, Donald John Chapin who died in 1968, Theodore William "Bill" Yeoman in 1992; and daughter-in-law, Eva Ruth Genz in 1994.