Eugene John Winders, 96, passed away peacefully at home on Jan 18th 2017. Visitation will be held on Wed. Jan 25th at 9 am - 10:15 am at Church of Resurrection with Mass following at 10:30 am.
Born April 21, 1920 and raised in Dubuque, he attended Senior High School where his preferred sport was boxing. A product of the Great Depression, Gene belonged to a generation that valued hard work and social unity. Devotion and duty were important values and he practiced these virtues within his family, profession, church and service to his country. He joined the Army during WWII in which he served as a medical supply sergeant and was sent to France to set up a field hospital shortly after D-Day. After the liberation of Paris, he worked at a suburban hospital at Clichy and met his future wife, Jacqueline Clerc. They were married at the church of St. Laurent in Paris in 1945 and lived for awhile in an apartment on the Champs-Elysees. Upon returning to the States, Gene began working at the Dubuque Packing Company, for whom he proudly devoted 38 years as a meat peddler, stocking markets from Dubuque to Iowa City. He knew every shopkeeper on his route and developed enduring friendships along the way.
Gene was called back to Army service during the Korean conflict and afterwards, bought a parcel of land in the countryside and constructed his family home on what was once known as Old Timer's Rd, now in the heart of Dubuque's West End. It was there he raised his family, kept an immaculate yard and fruitful garden. Throughout his life, Gene travelled extensively with his wife and family and was especially fond of taking extensive road trips, both in the U.S. and abroad.
He was a social man and a former member of 660 at the Dubuque Shooting Society, the American Legion Post #6 and a devout Catholic, having been raised in St. Anthony’s parish, and joining the Church of Resurrection when it was just a rural parish.
Upon retirement, Gene and Jackeye wintered with friends on the Texas Gulf coast for many years and he became an avid golfer, pursuing the sport well into his 90s. Active, fit and strong, both physically and mentally, he was committed to routinely tackling several crossword puzzles and walking the Mall each morning, and playing a game of bridge or golf at the Meadows Golf Club. Having witnessed first hand nearly a century of change, he enjoyed sharing his personal stories and anecdotes of Dubuque lore.
Gene is survived by his wife of 71 years, Jacqueline Winders, his sons; Richard of Leavenworth, WA, Jeffrey (Penelope) of Scales Mound, IL, his daughter, Dominique of Minneapolis, MN, grandsons Luke (Sara) Winders of Atkinson, IL and Zeke of Galena, IL.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Grace (Berg) Winders, his sister, Jaunita Martin and brother, Roger (Danny) Winders.
The Egelhof, Siegert and Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
A Eugene J. Winders Memorial has been established.