Visitation:
From 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, February 7th at
St. John's Lutheran Church in Hartsburg
Service:
11 a.m. Saturday at the church
Funeral home:
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader, Lincoln
Obituary
Lester Peter Happ passed away at Timber Creek
Village, Lincoln, on February 1, 2015.
Lester, son of Peter Lawrence and Rosemary Selzer
Happ, was born on January 1, 1929, at Evanston
Hospital. Les married Carol Wutke of Mikwaukee, WI,
on June 13, 1953. He served in the U.S. Navy on
board the U.S.S. Boxer and U.S.S. Oriskany where he
never tired of watching Corsair airplanes take off
and land. After a brief period working for the
DeKalb Hatchery Foundation in Effingham, Les
returned to Northbrook, where he took over the
Northbrook Food Mart, a grocery started by Les’s
father.
In 1964, Les started working for Industrial
Bio-Test, where he retired from. After retirement,
Les continued to learn and pursue many interests. He
loved music, taking banjo lessons and he was a
member of the Hummers and Strummers, Windy City
Jammers and the Central Illinois Banjo Club. Les was
president of the Northbrook Historical Society.
He was an avid gardener and also served as a
volunteer at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. Sports
always played a big part of Les' life. He played
football at Iowa State and Northern Illinois
University. He enjoyed horses, cross country skied
and biked until his late 70's. Les travelled the
world visiting four continents, ten countries, and
most of the United States. His last flight was taken
aboard the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight Program on
March 2013. |
Les is survived by his wife Carol Joan (née
Wutke);his children: Mary Beth Violante (Jose) of
Portugal, Dirk Robert Happ (Rachel) of DeKalb, and
Lisa Ann Wrage (Kurt) of Emden; six grandchildren:
Erik Violante, Cody Happ, Dane (Lynnae) Happ, Jason
(Elizabeth) Wrage, Kate (Wes) Dahl, and Matthew
(Jessie) Wrage ; and seven great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. on
Saturday, February 7, followed by the service at St.
John's Lutheran Church, Hartsburg. Rev. Lisa Goodwin
will be officiating. Burial will follow at Hartsburg
Union Cemetery with full military rites.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the
Northbrook Historical Society, the Hartsburg Fire
and Rescue Squad or the Safe Haven Hospice.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home, Lincoln.
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