Loren E. "Butch" Neuleib, Jr., 63, of Rock Island, our loving husband, father, grandpa, brother, uncle, cousin and friend, left us on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. He lost his 16 month battle with brain cancer. Services for Butch will be 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, 3030 7th Ave., Rock Island. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 pm to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at the Rock Island National Cemetery, Arsenal Island, where military honors will be conducted. Memorials may be made to the family. Butch was born on Nov. 30, 1949, in Geneseo, the oldest of seven children born to Loren E. Neuleib and Mary Henry Neuleib. He married Wanda Jacobs in 1973 in Geneseo. Later Butch married Judy Williams Johnson on May 27, 1988, in Davenport. He played softball for the Arsenal men's league and co-ed team, where he was the coach. He made many lasting friends that he still has today. He fished and hunted all his life and played golf in his later years on several leagues. He was an avid Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears and Fighting Illini fan. Butch enjoyed taking his grandchildren fishing and spending as much time with them as he could. He also enjoyed spending time with his friends at Casey's Tavern, where he played on several dart teams. Butch was a U.S. Army veteran and spent three years in Germany from 1967 to 1970. He worked for the railroad and construction after serving in the Army. He retired in 2005 from the Rock Island Arsenal after 38 years of service. Butch was a member of the East End Club. Survivors include his loving wife, Judy; children, Chad Neuleib, Brock Neuleib, Shayne Neuleib and Lynsay (Don) Bainter; grandchildren, Taylor Neuleib, Cheyenne Bainter and Brody Bainter; siblings, Lenore VanDeVoord, Linda (Mike) Hull, Luanne O'Donnell, Larry (Julie) Neuleib, Lyle (Pat) Neuleib and Lola (Sean) Helke; and several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.wheelanpressly.com.
Today is Tuesday, May 21, the 141st day of 2013. There are 224 days left in the year. 1863 -- 150 years ago: On Monday the 11th inst. on Center Ridge in Mercer County,some citizens got out their cannon to celebrate the taking of Richmond. The gun wasoverloaded and burst. No one was injured, but one 30-pound piece went though thesecond story of a house. 1888 -- 125 years ago: The old folks concert at the Harper Theater last night to benefit St.Luke's Cottage Hospital, attracted a large audience. 1913 -- 100 years ago: Unless depredation by vandals in Rock Island parks is halted,special policemen will be assigned to night duty to protect the flowers and other property. 1938 -- 75 years ago: Station WHBF has received a special citation from Washington forits participation in Air Mail Week, which was observed this week throughout the nation. 1963 -- 50 years ago: A 10-year high in employment in the Quad-City area was reachedat the end of the last quarter, according to an industrial employment barometer releasedtoday. 1988 -- 25 years ago: Pee Wee teams will be able to play baseball and softball as usualon Diamond Three at Dorrance Park this summer, but after that, the ball field is doomed.County crews have put the diamond back in shape after heavy trucks marred the playingfield earlier this spring. Illinois Department of Transportation crews drove onto it to makeborings for the relocation of the junction of Illinois 84 and the Port Byron-Hillsdale road.