Dennis D. Wurster

Dennis D. Wurster, age 79, of rural Elizabeth, Illinois, passed away on Thursday, August 17, 2017 at the Elizabeth Nursing Home in Elizabeth. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Derinda, Illinois on Tuesday, August 22, 2017. Burial will follow in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Derinda. A visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Monday, August 21, 2017 at Law-Jones Funeral Home in Elizabeth.

Dennis was born on May 31, 1938 in Freeport, Illinois, the son of Harry Thomas and Leta (Toepfer) Wurster. He attended Elizabeth High School and graduated with the Class of 1956. While in high school, Dennis enjoyed playing the trumpet and made lifelong friendships with his band mates. Dennis went to work for Carl Schnitzler right out of high school and started his beef herd. Dennis farmed all his life on the family centennial farm in Derinda. He later went to work for the Massbach Telephone Company in Massbach, Illinois, and became the manager. The telephone company taught Dennis how to climb the telephone poles, which became useful when he went to work for Jo-Carroll Electric where he retired in 2000 after 37 years.

Dennis married the love of his life Marilyn Geisz on April 17, 1964 in Savanna, Illinois. They celebrated 53 years of marriage. He was a lifelong member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Derinda, where he served as the cemetery sexton, sat on the Church Council, sang with the choir, helped with the farmers market and Relay for Life. Dennis enjoyed tending to his vegetable garden, driving his antique Farmall tractors in the FFA Antique Tractor Drive, fishing, hunting, boating, traveling and playing Euchre. Most of all, Dennis treasured the time he spent with his family. Family meant the world to him.

Dennis will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 53 years, Marilyn; two sons, Thomas R. (Beth Dettman) Wurster of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, Timothy J. (Sherri) Wurster of Winnebago, Illinois; five grandchildren, Kattie, Ben (Heather), Aaron, Sam and Abbie Wurster; one great-grandchild, Cori Wurster; a brother in-law, Morris Krug of Elizabeth. Dennis was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Lois Krug.