Ilene Genz

Ilene Marie Genz, 81, of Harpers Ferry, IA, died Sunday, June 19, 2016, at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services will be held Thursday, June 23rd, at 11:00 AM at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, IA, with Rev. Lynn G. Groe officiating. Burial will be at Sixteen Cemetery, rural Monona, IA. Friends may call one hour before services Thursday at the funeral home.

Ilene Marie Genz was born September 9, 1934, in Clinton, IA, the daughter of Raymond and Leona (Vanloo) Shoemaker. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Clinton, and attended schools in the Clinton area. On October 11, 1952, she married Roland Genz in Camanche, IA. After they were married, they lived in Virginia for three years before moving back to Clinton and in 1972, they moved to LeClaire, IA, before moving to Harpers Ferry, IA, in 1991.

Ilene loved going to garage sales and kept a journal with the places and dates of the sales she attended. She enjoyed working word puzzles, spending time in her flower gardens, sewing, crocheting, and doing embroidery work.

Survivors include her husband Roland of Harpers Ferry; her children: LaVonne Bouvia of Fulton, IL, Wesley (Lori) Genz of Dubuque, IA, Lee (Mickey) Genz of Bettendorf, IA, Pamela Sue Partello of Prairie du Chien, WI, and Denise Bolt of Harpers Ferry; 15 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; one sister Karen Wexell of Silvis, IL; and a brother Melvin (Crystal) Shoemaker of Morrison, IL. She is preceded in death by her parents and a brother Robert Shoemaker.

Casketbearers are Brandon, Josh, and Eric Genz, Ryan Bump, Collin Hanrahan, and Kenny Chapin.