Gene Daum, age 85 of Greenville, passed away at his home Thursday night, September 28, 2023, in Greenville.
Funeral 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at the Donnell – Wiegand Funeral Home in Greenville. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until service time Tuesday at the Funeral Home. Interment will be in Mt. Auburn Cemetery with military honors. In lieu of flowers, please make memorials to the Greenville Public Library or the Bond County Humane Society.
Gene Walter Daum, the son of Roy S. Daum, Sr. and Mabel Sophia (Suhre) Karm, and step-son of Lansing Karm, was born May 15, 1938, in Edwardsville, Illinois. Gene grew up in Greenville, attended and graduated from Greenville High School with the class of 1955. He worked full time on the Karm farm doing dairy and grain from the time he graduated high school until 1979. He took pride in showing hogs in high school. Gene also worked part time as a cook at the Bel-Aire restaurant and construction on I-70.
Gene served our country in the United States Army Reserves. He enlisted in March of 1956 and was with the 327 Engineering Battalion and 102 infantry division. Gene was a cook in the Army. Mr. Daum was honorably discharged on January 31, 1964.
Gene began selling crop insurance for Federal Crop Insurance in 1978. Gene and Dan started Daum Crop Insurance Agency in 1980. Dan took over the business in 1988 and Gene did crop loss adjusting for RCIS and Wells Fargo crop insurance divisions until his retirement in 2012. Gene and Sandy owned and operated G.E.T. Video from 1988 – 2012 and County Seat Mall from 1994 – 1998.
Some of his greatest loves were spending time with family and the big family get togethers. He loved to bbq and his specialty were ribs. Gene loved stock car races and watching his son-in-law race. Gene was also a big St. Louis Cardinals fan. He was very active in the Greenville Community and volunteered his time and gifts to make Greenville a better place. Gene served on the Greenville City Council and was a long-time member of the Greenville Commercial Club.
Surviving is his wife, Sandra (Cusick) Daum and their children: Dan Daum and wife Cindy of Pocahontas, Dixie Bargetzi of Highland, IL, Penny Jacob of Highland, IL, Christine Kuczka and husband David of Pocahontas, IL, Judy Neier and husband Dan of Highland, Janice Pilkerton and husband Mark of Pocahontas, Russell Blankenship and wife Tammy of Pocahontas. Grandchildren: Christy Mollet (Jeremy), Anne Lohman (Casey), David Ziegler (Meghan), John Ziegler (Elle), Zachary Daum (Tasmin), Mallory O’Dell (Danny), Kate Ziegler, and Alex Neier. Great Grandchildren: Remy Daum, Dallas and Winston Ziegler twins, Jacob and Michael Ziegler, twins, Dylan Mollet Blake Zarinellie. Also, Gene would have been the proud great grandfather of the third set of twins a boy and a girl soon to be delivered.
Also surviving are niece Candace Walter and only nephew Bill Daum.
Preceded in death by his parents, his brother Roy Daum Jr, grandson J. D. Handshy, Jr., infant daughter Regena and stepdaughter Donna Blankenship.
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