Obituary of Gene Froeliger

Eugene “Gene” L. Froeliger It is with profound sadness that the family of Gene Froeliger announce his peaceful passing at Rock River Hospice on May 28th, 2021 at the age of 79. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Jeri of 58 years, his children Michelle (Chuck) Musgrove of Sterling, IL and Brett (Gina) Froeliger of Columbia MO, his grandchildren Amanda (Evan) Ochiltree of New Orleans, LA, Hayden, Wil, and Jude Froeliger of Columbia, MO, and special furry companion Raleigh Musgrove. Gene was predeceased by his parents Minnie and Jack Froeliger, daughter Kimberly Frieberg, granddaughter Peyton Frieberg, and his two faithful black labs Bubba and Shen. Gene was born in Sterling, IL and attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church for his faith and Sterling Public Schools. He graduated from Sterling High School, Sauk Valley Community College, and Northern Illinois University. He learned the love of the Lord from his mom Minnie and his love of cars from his dad Jack. Gene’s great love of cars came from working with his dad in their garage. He took great pride in buying his first car in high school and cruised with his best friends Gene Hafner “the two Eugene’s” and Don Peterson. Gene started working at Frantz Mfg. in 1961 and invested himself in the company, through education, hard work, strong character, and leadership through the manufacturing challenges at Frantz. Gene met his wife Jeri and they married in 1963 and had three children. Through hard work, love of family, and patience they worked together to create a life and family. One of Gene’s favorite childhood memories of spending time at Plummer Lake came to fruition in 1994 when he and Jeri built the cabin of their dreams on Plummer Lake. Family and friends enjoyed fishing, campfires, and times on the lake all four seasons. Gene may have been a quiet soul but with the right people he could always joke around and had an infectious giggle. If we learned any life lessons from him, they would be: Respect others and no one is better than anyone else Support family and friends Sock your money away Make Lists Never let the gas in your car get below half a tank Visitation for Gene will be held from 1:00-3:00pm on Saturday, June 5th and Celebration of Life starting at 3PM at Schilling Funeral Home. Donations may be made to Rock River Hospice in memory of Gene Froeliger. The family wishes to send a special thank you to the exceptional and compassionate care from Gaffey Home Nursing who cared for Gene at home and Rock River Hospice who cared for him through his Final Journey. Gene's family would greatly appreciate and ask if masks can be worn.