DEER GROVE – Eugene Chelca “Gene” Hardy, 96, of Deer Grove, died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, at Rock River Hospice & Home in Sterling.

Gene was born Nov. 12, 1932, in rural Deer Grove, to Edmund and Amy (Crystal) Hardy. Gene was the eighth of nine siblings. In his early years, he worked on the Hardy family farm until going to work at Northwestern Steel & Wire Co. in Sterling. He was united in marriage to Evelyn Elizabeth Sanner on Jan. 11, 1941, in Clinton, Iowa. Together they raised five daughters.

After the wire mill, Gene worked as an auto mechanic in Oregon and Sterling. He then served in the Army in World War II as a rifle marksman in Italy from 1944 to 1945, in Company K 338th Infantry Division. He earned the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with one Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantry Medal, Automatic Rifle Bar, Sharp Shooters Medal and Machine Gun Bar.

After returning from military service, Gene and his wife, Evelyn, moved the family back to Deer Grove to the Hardy family farm, and began farming. In 1954, Gene and Evelyn bought the farm that he continued to live on. Gene and Evelyn lived and worked on their farm, raising livestock and crops until his retirement in 1996. In addition to farming several farms, Gene did custom combining of crops in his local area. He served as drainage commissioner for Hamilton Township for many years, and enjoyed restoring an antique 1939 Bradley tractor. He loved watching wrestling and was an avid NASCAR follower.

He is survived by his five daughters, Betty Andersen of Ohio, Bonnie (Robert) Mattingly of Deer Grove, Virginia (Joseph) Brechon of Dixon, Peggy (Joel Peterson) Brechon of Mokena, and Gale (David) Clark of Evans, Colorado; 10 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren, with one additional great-great-grandson expected early next year.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Evelyn, after 62 years of marriage; five brothers, Harry, Clint, Lester, Russell and Raymond; three sisters, Pearl Seible, Emma Howes, and Bessie Mungor; one grandson, Louis Brechon; one great-grandson, Tyler Clark; and one son-in-law, Harold Andersen.

Visitation will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, and the funeral at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Garland Funeral Home in Walnut, with the Rev. Brian Moore, pastor of First Christian Church of Walnut officiating. Burial with military honors will conclude at Walnut Cemetery.

A memorial has been established to Rock River Hospice & Home and to First Christian Church of Walnut.