Vernon G. Ehrecke, 93, of Davenport, died peacefully on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf.
Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for Mr. Ehrecke will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Blue Grass. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Davenport, with military honors. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House or Mary’s Angels at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church. Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Vernon George Ehrecke was born on Dec. 25, 1930, in Muscatine County, the youngest of seven sons born to William and Marie (Springmeier) Ehrecke. He graduated from St. Ambrose Academy in 1948 and proudly served our country in the Army during the Korean War. Vern was united in marriage to Marie Arlene Collins on May 23, 1953, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Buffalo. They shared over 62 years of marriage before Marie passed on July 3, 2015.
Vern loved the land and farming. In 1963, he bought 55 acres in Blue Grass to pursue his love of farming. He eventually donated some of that land to build St. Andrew’s Catholic Church. He truly believed in giving back to his community and looking out for others. To honor his contributions to the community, the VM Ehrecke Safety Trail was recently named in his honor.
Vern worked for Farm Service from 1954 until 1963, when he went to work for Twin State Chemical Engineering until his retirement in 1994. He then went to work for his fun job at Gless Brothers Trucking. He greatly enjoyed his time there and looked forward to seeing his friends there every day. He stayed at Gless Brothers until 2012, when he left to take care of his wife in her final years.
He was an active parishioner at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church and sat on the Board of Directors of Walcott Mutual Insurance from 1970 until 2012.
Those left to honor his memory are his children and their spouses: Kevin and Kari of Ames, Keith and Beth of Long Grove, Ralph and Linda of Bettendorf, and Rhonda and Leo of Mahomet, Ill.; grandchildren: Cory, Kacie (Adam), Paige (Steve), Ian (Amanda), Nicholas, Brandon (Natalie) and Ashton; a great-granddaughter, Kaylee; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his wife, Vern was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Paul, Eugene, Warren, Harold, Kenneth, and William. May they rest in peace.
The Ehrecke family would like to thank the nurses, aides, and staff of Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House for all of the loving, compassionate care they shared with Vern. This is truly a remarkable place.
Online condolences may be expressed by visiting www.hmdfuneralhome.com.
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