Obituary of Donald Eugene Van Horn

 Donald Eugene Van Horn - Born July 7th, 1930 to Rachel & Thomas Van Horn.,  in Sunbury,  Pa.

 

He was the youngest of ten children - Annie, Alice, Margaret, Elmer, Herman, Ruth, Gertrude, Verna and James.   His mom always teased that she was going to name him "Surprise" because he came 7 years later.

 

He got the nickname of Van when he enlisted in the Marine Corp after high school in 1948.  He served for 4 years and was in Korea where he was at the landing of Inchon and the burning of Seoul.   He always joked that he was to be there for only one year, but his "good friend,

Harry, (Harry Truman) said he did such a great job that he kept him another year.  He gained the rank of Staff Sergeant.

 

After being discharged in 1952 he came to Mascoutah, Ill. because one of his Marine buddies said there  was a  lot of work going on at Scot t Air Force  Base  as they were laying  runways on the base.   He came down to Ill. and never went back to Troy, except to visit his family each year.

 

Van went to college on the G.I. bill and became a banker which he enjoyed until he retired in 1989.

 

He married June in 1953 and they were married 69 beautiful years.  They have two daughters,  Cynthia, and Theresa who were the pride of his  life  that he loved  so  much and they  returned  their  pride and love  of him.

 

He has 6 grandchildren, Christine, Ian, Greg, Ariel Audrey and Bryce, who was born on his birthday.

 

We spent many of these birthdays with family all getting together.   We did different locations and the last one for his 90th Birthday was  a beautiful  home on the  beach in Pensacola, Fl.   were the family flew in from different states.

 

He has three great grandchildren, Nyobe, Geffrey and Jensen.

 

He loved playing golf and listening to country music during the  day and having cocktail  parties with  all of friends in the evening.

 

When I would asked if his team  won,  he usually, said   "I  don't know,  but we laughed  the whole time.   "   He would tell me who he played with and would always,  "he is such  a nice guy."

 

He enjoyed all of his friends so  much  and we  talked so often  about  lucky we were to have had so  much fun  together  with  our wonderful family and friends.

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