Obit: Bixby, George #3 (1933 - 2011)

Contact: Audrey Roedl

Email: audero@powerweb.net

Surnames: Bixby, Colwell, White, Lammers, Ruggles, Cook

----Source: The Loyal TRG  (Loyal, Clark County, Wis. 09 Feb 2011)

Bixby, George  (14 JUNE 1933-30 JAN 2011)

George F. "Smiley" Bixby, 77, Neillsville, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011, at the Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas, which was his winter home. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at the Gesche Funeral Home, Neillsville, and again for one hour prior to funeral services at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Gesche Funeral Home, Neillsville. Rev. Mike Herdt will officiate. Rev. Mike and Rev. Pat Herdt will provide the music. Burial will be in the York Center Cemetery. Military honors will be accorded by the Neillsville Veterans Council. Serving as casket bearers will be his grandsons, Jeremy Ruggles, Philip Lammers, Hunter Cook, Andrew Bixby, Ryan Opelt and Ryan Dillenbeck. Honorary casket bearers will be Ryan Cook and Caleb Bixby.

George Francis Bixby was born on June 14, 1933, in Nichols, Iowa, the son of Francis and Martha (nee Colwell) Bixby. He was the youngest of eight children. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1953-55 during the Korean Conflict. He married Darlene Lucille White on Aug. 20, 1954, in Missouri. He was employed at Elcho Distributing, Iowa Lumber and was a hobby farmer in Iowa before moving to Wisconsin in 1969 to become a dairy farmer. They sold the farm in 1977 and worked for York Center Farms before buying the business, which was Bixby’s Grain Service until 1988. He then went to work for Northside Elevator until his retirement in 1996. They enjoyed traveling to Israel, Egypt and all 50 states. He was an active member of York Center United Methodist Church and an avid euchre card player. He will always be remembered for his laughter, smiles and gift of gab.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Darlene; four chikdren, Cindy (Bruce) Lammers, Rice Lake, Debbie (Bucky) Ruggles, Chili, Laurie Bixby-Cook, Neillsville, and G. Rodney Bixby, Neillsville; 17 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; one brother, John Bixby, Marshfield; and one sister, Iota Jensen, Ollie, Iowa.

Online condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com.

The Gesche Funeral Home, Neillsville, is assisting the family with arrangements.