John Norman Wentz

John Norman Wentz, 72, of Geneseo, passed away on Sunday, December 16, 2018, at his home in Geneseo. Memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 3, 2019, at Vandemore Funeral Home & Crematory, Geneseo Chapel. Inurnment will follow at the Rock Island National Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on January 2, 2019, at the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to the John Wentz Memorial Fund.

John was born on December 29, 1945, the son of Norman Andrew and Flora (Wrigley) Wentz, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from Geneseo High School with the class of 1964. He is a proud veteran of the United States Air Force and served as a crew chief from 1963-1966. John married Debbie Wilson on March 4, 1977, in Moline, Illinois. He worked as a welder at International Harvester for many years before starting his own business, Wentz Welding, in Geneseo. John was raised as a member of the Episcopalian faith, and was a member of the Geneseo Car Club and the Geneseo VFW Post. He enjoyed flying airplanes, fishing, and using his welding talents to fix and craft things from metal. Most of all, John loved his family very much.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Debbie, sons, Matthew (Christina) Wentz, of Geneseo, and Luke (Devon) Wentz, of Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, CA; six grandchildren, Rosella, Ryne, Zarah, Caleb, Heath, and Anava; two brothers, Charles (Teresa) Wentz, of East Moline, and Paul (Jackie) Wentz, of Milan, and a brother-in-law, Ron Root, of AZ.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Norman and Flora, and by his sister, Elizabeth Root.