STERLING – Rodolfo “Rudy” Velazquez, 95, of Sterling, died Thursday, July 12, 2012, at Sterling Pavilion.

He was a former Northwestern Steel and Wire employee, and was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Morrison.

Rudy was born June 26, 1917, in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico, to Leoncio and Virginia (Aguila) Velazquez. He married Leona C. Buhrow-VanderLeest on March 21, 1970, in Lyndon; she died Dec. 29, 2007.

He is survived by daughters Virginia (Steven) Wirsing of Sycamore and Julia (Ryan) Decker of Morrison; stepdaughters Norma (Gail) Young, Debra (Galen) Johnson and Joanne (Duane) Dahler, all of Morrison, and Bonny (Dale) Kennedy of Fulton; stepsons Jerry (Cindy) VanderLeest of Morrison and Thomas VanderLeest of Clinton, Iowa; sisters Ana Maria Lopez of Sterling and Maximina Marquez and Genoveva Alcantar, both of Rock Falls; brothers Jose Velazquez of Lyndon and Rogello Velazquez of Rock Falls; four grandchildren, 18 step-grandchildren and 32 step-great-grandchildren.

He also was preceded in death by sisters Maria Eustolia Moreno and Carmela Martinez-Galvan and brothers Carlos Velasquez and Juan Teodoro Velazquez.

Private family visitation and services were held at Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home in Morrison, and burial was in Grove Hill Cemetery in Morrison. The Rev. Juan Ayala, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Sterling, officiated.

Go to www.bosmarenkes.com to send condolences.