Hillers, George "Bert" (1940 - 2025)

HILLERS, KWAPISZESKI, BRANDT, JONES, PETERSON, POWELL, SPARKS, POEPSEL, KING, DARGANTES

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 9/5/2025 at 16:54:33

Name of deceased: George “Bert” Hillers

Aged: 85 yrs, 3 mo, 6 days

Residence: Harlan, Shelby County, IA

Born: May 12, 1940; Bedford, Taylor County, IA

Died: Aug. 18, 2025; Harlan, Shelby County, IA

Funeral services: Monday, Aug. 25, 2025; Immanuel Lutheran Church, Harlan, IA; burial to follow at Harlan Cemetery, Harlan, IA

Survived by: Wife of 20 years, Maxine Kwapiszeski of Harlan, IA; children, Irv (spouse, Kate) Jones of Harlan, IA, Kristi Hillers of Lincoln, NE, and her children, Josh, Nick, Malachi, and Caelan, Kerri (spouse, Andy) Peterson of St. Joseph, MO, and their children, David (spouse, Mo), Micah (spouse, Austin), Tyler (spouse, Brooke), Angie, Makenzie (spouse, Jordan), and Lily, SunHee Hillers of Council Bluffs, IA and her son, Alex (spouse, Jaycie); and Kim Hillers (spouse, Chuck Powell) of Seoul, South Korea; step-children: Sheri Kwapiszeski of Charlotte, NC, and her children, Justin and Jason Sparks, and Scott Kwapiszeski (spouse, Sara Poepsel) of Harlan; 18 great- grandchildren; brother, Joe (spouse, Val) Hillers of Coupeville, WA; other family members and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, Christe and Lenore (nee King) Hillers; first wife, Judy Hillers; son, Nicholas Hillers; brother, Johnny Hillers; sister, Pat (and spouse, Del) Dargantes; niece, Julie Hillers

Education: Attended grade school through high school in Blockton, IA. He continued his education at Muscatine Junior College for 2 years before graduating from Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, MO, in 1963, with a bachelor’s degree in education, majoring in mathematics

Religious affiliation: For 40 years, he faithfully cleared snow from the Immanuel Lutheran Church parking lot. At church, he served as an usher, council member, videographer, and sound technician, in addition to serving on the property committee for 15 years and the trust and memorial committee.

Military service: no information provided

Marriages: (1) Judy Brandt; Dec. 29, 1963; at a Lutheran church, Hooper, NE. She died in 1995. (2) Maxine Kwapiszeski; Oct. 2, 2004; St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Panama, IA.

Employment: Bert began his teaching career at Park Hill Junior High, Kansas City, MO, where he taught 7th and 8th grade from 1963 to 1965. In 1966, he and Judy moved to Harlan, IA, where Bert taught 9th grade at HCHS until 1969. He then went to work at Christensen Auto from 1969 to 1974 before opening Bert’s Auto in Harlan, which he owned and operated until he retired in 2022.

Hobbies/Interests: Summer trips to Cedar Falls, IA, for the Korean Camp were a favorite destination while his children were growing up. He enjoyed NASCAR racing and had a special love for birds, butterflies, flowers, and trees. He was fascinated by astronomy and loved to experience the world through travel or by attending the theatre with Maxine. Was also deeply involved in his community. He volunteered at the band booth at the Shelby County Fair, served as a band parent officer, chaperoned the band trip to Florida, as well as chaperoning a group of high school students to an Indian reservation in South Dakota, and he dedicated 12 years of service as a member of the HCHS School Board.

Sources: heartlandfunerals.net