Pastor Virgil Franklin Juliot

Virgil Juliot, 94, of Geneseo, IL, passed away on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at Allure of Geneseo. A visitation will be held April 17, 2021 from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. followed by a celebration of life at 11:00 a.m. at First Lutheran Church of Geneseo. Reverend Matt Kamprath will officiate.  Vandemore Funeral Homes & Crematory-Geneseo Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. Guests are asked to wear masks and social distance for the safety of all. The service will be broadcast on First Lutheran’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Memorials may be made to First Lutheran Church of Geneseo.

Virgil Juliot was born September 22, 1925, to William and Lydia Juliot in Lake City, MN, where he grew up. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, Lutheran Bible Institute, Minneapolis, MN, and Augustana Seminary in Rock Island, IL (now part of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago). He was ordained in the Augustana Synod on June 20, 1954. He completed graduate work at Luther-Northwestern Seminary in St. Paul, MN. He held a Church and Country certificate from Michigan State University.  Virgil married Marilyn Culver on May 14, 1955. Together they had five children. They have twelve grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and are expecting the 26th.  Virgil served congregations at Ruston Lutheran in Tacoma, WA, and Saron Lutheran in Hoquiam, WA; Gethsemane Lutheran and Swan Lake Lutheran in Dassel, MN; Bethesda Lutheran in Moorhead, MN; Trinity Lutheran in Canton, IL and Wiley Lutheran, Ellisville, IL. He retired July 1, 1992.  After retirement, Virgil and Marilyn moved to Geneseo, IL. Virgil continued his calling serving as interim pastor and pulpit supply for many churches in the area. He also served as visitation pastor for shut-ins at First Lutheran of Geneseo for 23 years where he and his wife are members. He served six years on the American Missions Committee of the Minnesota Synod (LCA) and seven years on the Migrant Worker Consortium of the Illinois Conference of Churches. He graduated from the Illinois Master Gardeners course in 1996. He loved tending his landscaping.

Virgil enlisted in the Army Air Corps the day before his 18th birthday and served as a navigator aboard a B-29 Bomber. He flew various missions over Japan during WWII. As Virgil guided his crew across the Pacific Ocean, so in his ministry he guided people to Christ. He participated in the Honor Flight for WWII veterans in 2010. He and his wife have served as volunteers at Hammond Henry Hospital since 1992. Virgil believed that God called him to be a servant to others and he lived this out in his ministry and life.  Virgil enjoyed 44 trips with family and friends to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota. He sailed aboard an historic schooner off the coast of Maine three times, worked one summer in Alaska while in college, and traveled twice to Israel, Jordan and Egypt. He and his wife visited Brazil, England, Wales, Scotland and the Hawaiian Islands and wintered for 15 years in Tucson, Arizona.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of almost 65 years, Marilyn; children, Kathy (Kent) McDowell of Canton, IL, Karen (David) Reinertsen of Grand Junction, CO, Keith (Faye) Juliot of Phelan, CA, Kevin Juliot of McPherson, KS and Mark (Lori) Juliot of Naperville, IL; sister, Marcella Steffen, of Bemidji, MN; brother, Howard (Twylah) Juliot, of Eau Claire, WI; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other beloved family.

Preceding him in death are his parents, William and Lydia, and brothers, Duane and Norman.