Obituary of Harry Wenger

Harry Leslie Wenger died on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, at age 87, surrounded by his loved ones in his home in Tucson, AZ. Harry was born on September 20th, 1932 in Milledgeville, IL to Ida and Bruce Wenger. Harry grew up in Milledgeville and was the youngest of 5 children, Harlan, Emerson, Lila, and Eileen. Harry’s parents had little money to spare but supported him being the first in his family to attend college at Cornell College in Iowa. He married his true love from high school, Gale Francis Nicholson on August 24, 1952, in Coleta, IL. After spending 2 years in the service stationed in Germany, Harry and Gale settled in Elgin, IL and had four children, Mari, Margot, Kay, and Paul. Harry always said that “family is everything” and was a devoted, fun, and wise father and husband. Harry was generous, had a mischievous sense of humor, and possessed the ability to view the world in a realistic way, yet it did not keep him from valuing its beauty and wonder. He loved music and tried his hand at the guitar and piano and made his own “best of CD’s” for popular, classical and opera music. He worked hard to eventually become an owner of a small business, often noting that his success was based on “hiring good people, a good memory, and a little luck.” He took an opportunity to retire early to Tucson, AZ so he could travel with his wife and to pursue his lifelong passion for nature and landscape photography. When he was not involved with his photography, he and Gale made sure to spend each summer in the Midwest pulling their trailer along and parking it at each of their children’s homes. Harry and his wife did not miss many extended family Christmas gatherings, and this was a huge joy for him. Harry and his wife Gale attended St. Marks Methodist Church in Tucson for 30 years and were both actively involved in supporting their church. They were happily married for nearly 68 years at the time of his death. Harry was preceded in death by his parents and by his four siblings, Harlan, Emerson, Lila, and Eileen. Survivors include his wife, Gale Wenger, 88, his daughters Mari Powers, Margot Wenger, and Kay Grace (Michael Freeman) and his son Paul Wenger (Pam Perona), his sister-in-law Joanne Shortt, his nine grandchildren (Ben, Matthew (Bridget), Bob, Anne (Nick), Aaron (Ashley), Malik (Meg) , Jesse (Tamara), Brian, Adam, and his nine great grandchildren Emmarie, Aspen, Brianna, Roger, Beckham, Maksim, Miles, Rosalie and Lila. Surviving nieces and nephews include Susan (Dwight), Judy, Glenna (Joe), and Dan, on the Wenger side, as well as Sandy, Wilbert (Theresa) Robert (Petrwska,) Bill, Sheila (Joe), Andy, John, Jim, Debbie and Larry, from Gale’s family on the Nicholson side. Harry was truly loved by all his extended family. He is fondly remembered by his lifelong best friend Alan Polhill (Pat) of Milledgeville, by his neighbor and good friend Maddie Tsurusaki (Cal) and by countless other friends throughout his life. Harry Wenger’s funeral and burial will take place outdoors at Bethel Cemetery, Otter Creek Drive, Milledgeville, Il 61051 at 11:00 am on Saturday September 12, 2020. A celebration of life picnic follows the service and will be at White Pines State Park in Mt. Morris, IL. In lieu of flowers, Harry’s family asks that friends and family members plant a tree in his memory. To purchase a tree to be planted in our national forests please visit schillingfuneralhome.com.