DEHNER, ERNEST P.

EAST MOLINE — Ernest P. Dehner, 92, of East Moline passed away on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014, at his home. Funeral services are 11 a.m. Thursday at Christ United Methodist Church, East Moline. Visitation is 3-6 p.m. Wednesday at Van Hoe Funeral Home Ltd., East Moline. Entombment will be in Greenview Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, East Moline. Memorials may be made to Christ United Methodist Church, where he was a member for more than 30 years.

Born on Sept. 19, 1921, in Burlington, Iowa, he was the youngest son of Carl and Edna (Reid) Dehner. He married Marie Mercy on Sept. 13, 1947, in Moline, and they lived a happy life together for over 50 years. She passed away Sept. 6, 1998. Mr. Dehner worked as a maintenance electrician at John Deere Harvester and John Deere Spreader in East Moline, and retired in 1984. He was a World War II Marine Corps veteran and served with Roosevelt’s Raiders in the South Pacific. He was an active member at the YMCA, since first joining in 1944. He taught swimming to countless local area youth over the past 60 years. And he provided a good example of the importance of staying fit to young and old alike by continuing a vigorous workout schedule into his 90s.

Ernie was preceded in death by his five brothers, Joe, Ralph, Dave, Al, Chuck; and his sister, Marion. Survivors include his son, Michael Dehner, South Carolina; stepson, Larry Nelson, Indiana; and grandchildren, Anneliese Dehner, Oregon; Eric Nelson, Indiana; Evan Dehner, South Carolina; and Kristin (Nelson) Kepler, California.