IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Gerald J
Macfarlane
November 2, 1931 – July 26, 2015
Obituary
Gerald J "Bud" MacFarlane, 83, of East Dubuque, IL, passed away at home, on Sunday, July 26, 2015, surrounded by his loving family.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 A/M, on Friday, July 31, 2015, at St. Mary's Church in East Dubuque, with Fr. Dean Smith officiating. Burial will be in the East Dubuque Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 P/M to 8 P/M, on Thursday, July 30, 2015, at the Miller Funeral Home, East Dubuque, where the parish rosary will be recited at 3:30 P/M.
Visitation will also be from 9 A/M to 9:45 A/M, on Friday, at the funeral home.
Bud was born in Dubuque, IA, on November 2, 1931, the son of Sal and Winnie (O'Hearn) MacFarlane.
On May 16, 1953, in St. Mary's Church in East Dubuque, he married his high school sweetheart, Ruth Ann Kuhl, daughter of Harry and Vernie Kuhl. The two were best friends and celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in May.
Bud graduated from the East Dubuque High School in 1949 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps that September. He served three years and three months in the Marines including six months aboard ship in the Mediterranean Sea.
Following his service, Bud spent a brief time at Northome Furniture before entering the commercial printing business where he would spend the remainder of his career, beginning with the Telegraph Herald. In 1977, he moved to the Witness Publishing Company which published the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. There his skills developed with the emerging technologies and he quickly became one of the area's most proficient typesetters. Within the Witness, he developed a commercial typesetting business called Composition Specialists which provided typesetting services for the growing number of Dubuque graphic design firms.
Bud's most cherished accomplishment of his professional life was typesetting the book, "Tractatus de Signus," by John Deely, then at Loras College, in 1985. The book was set with English and Latin text side by side on each page with footnotes beneath. After hearing from many publishers that his vision was not possible, Mr. Deely turned to Bud for a solution. The achievement led the author to include in the book's credits, "It is Bud MacFarlane's masterpiece, and we are pleased to thank him openly for it, in this colophon."
The passion of his free time was the game of golf. He taught himself and became very skilled having twice won the Men's Club Championship at the Galena Golf Club, in 1972, and again in 1976. He shared his passion with his family who would regularly enjoy the game together, both locally and traveling. Many of his family remain members of the Galena Golf Club where Bud was a member since 1961. Bud would often arrive at the family golf outing with a new rule, or creatively designed scorecard, and was always ready to offer advice to his children, and their spouses, about the finer points of the game.
In 1953, Bud started playing trumpet with a country band in Dubuque. He later joined Ernie and the Playboys from Kieler, WIs; and in 1961, the Country Kings. The Country Kings were among the most popular bands at all the Saturday night dance halls. They lived up to the slogan on their poster as, "The Danciest Band in the Land."
Bud is survived by his wife, Ruth; and their five (5) children, Jane (Jim) Kohl, of Dubuque, IA, Julie (Jeff) Kahle, of Hazel Green, WI, Joe (Mimi) MacFarlane, of Verona, WI, Jim (Jill) MacFarlane, of Galena, IL, and Jeff (Vicki) MacFarlane, of Dubuque, IA. All of Bud and Ruth's children participated in the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps and the organization continues to be a large part of the family. Bud was a long-time member of the East Dubuque Drum & Bugle Corps.
Their family tree is continued by thirteen (13) grandchildren; four (4) great-grandchildren; four (4) step grandchildren; and ten (10) step great-grandchildren.
Bud was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Cleo, and her husband, Dale Medley; his brother, Jack; his wife's parents; her brother, Harry Kuhl, Jr; and brother-in-law, Elmer Soat.
He is survived by a brother, Tom (Odette); a sister, Joan (Gary) Glab; sister-in-law, Wanda MacFarlane; sisters-in-law, Helen Soat and Margaret (Stan) Duffy; and brother-in-law, John (Jackie) Kuhl.
The family wishes to "thank" Dr Hermann and his staff, Hospice of Dubuqe, especially Megan, Jennifer and Barb for all their care and support
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com
The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 A/M, on Friday, July 31, 2015, at St. Mary's Church in East Dubuque, with Fr. Dean Smith officiating. Burial will be in the East Dubuque Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 P/M to 8 P/M, on Thursday, July 30, 2015, at the Miller Funeral Home, East Dubuque, where the parish rosary will be recited at 3:30 P/M.
Visitation will also be from 9 A/M to 9:45 A/M, on Friday, at the funeral home.
Bud was born in Dubuque, IA, on November 2, 1931, the son of Sal and Winnie (O'Hearn) MacFarlane.
On May 16, 1953, in St. Mary's Church in East Dubuque, he married his high school sweetheart, Ruth Ann Kuhl, daughter of Harry and Vernie Kuhl. The two were best friends and celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in May.
Bud graduated from the East Dubuque High School in 1949 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps that September. He served three years and three months in the Marines including six months aboard ship in the Mediterranean Sea.
Following his service, Bud spent a brief time at Northome Furniture before entering the commercial printing business where he would spend the remainder of his career, beginning with the Telegraph Herald. In 1977, he moved to the Witness Publishing Company which published the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. There his skills developed with the emerging technologies and he quickly became one of the area's most proficient typesetters. Within the Witness, he developed a commercial typesetting business called Composition Specialists which provided typesetting services for the growing number of Dubuque graphic design firms.
Bud's most cherished accomplishment of his professional life was typesetting the book, "Tractatus de Signus," by John Deely, then at Loras College, in 1985. The book was set with English and Latin text side by side on each page with footnotes beneath. After hearing from many publishers that his vision was not possible, Mr. Deely turned to Bud for a solution. The achievement led the author to include in the book's credits, "It is Bud MacFarlane's masterpiece, and we are pleased to thank him openly for it, in this colophon."
The passion of his free time was the game of golf. He taught himself and became very skilled having twice won the Men's Club Championship at the Galena Golf Club, in 1972, and again in 1976. He shared his passion with his family who would regularly enjoy the game together, both locally and traveling. Many of his family remain members of the Galena Golf Club where Bud was a member since 1961. Bud would often arrive at the family golf outing with a new rule, or creatively designed scorecard, and was always ready to offer advice to his children, and their spouses, about the finer points of the game.
In 1953, Bud started playing trumpet with a country band in Dubuque. He later joined Ernie and the Playboys from Kieler, WIs; and in 1961, the Country Kings. The Country Kings were among the most popular bands at all the Saturday night dance halls. They lived up to the slogan on their poster as, "The Danciest Band in the Land."
Bud is survived by his wife, Ruth; and their five (5) children, Jane (Jim) Kohl, of Dubuque, IA, Julie (Jeff) Kahle, of Hazel Green, WI, Joe (Mimi) MacFarlane, of Verona, WI, Jim (Jill) MacFarlane, of Galena, IL, and Jeff (Vicki) MacFarlane, of Dubuque, IA. All of Bud and Ruth's children participated in the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps and the organization continues to be a large part of the family. Bud was a long-time member of the East Dubuque Drum & Bugle Corps.
Their family tree is continued by thirteen (13) grandchildren; four (4) great-grandchildren; four (4) step grandchildren; and ten (10) step great-grandchildren.
Bud was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Cleo, and her husband, Dale Medley; his brother, Jack; his wife's parents; her brother, Harry Kuhl, Jr; and brother-in-law, Elmer Soat.
He is survived by a brother, Tom (Odette); a sister, Joan (Gary) Glab; sister-in-law, Wanda MacFarlane; sisters-in-law, Helen Soat and Margaret (Stan) Duffy; and brother-in-law, John (Jackie) Kuhl.
The family wishes to "thank" Dr Hermann and his staff, Hospice of Dubuqe, especially Megan, Jennifer and Barb for all their care and support
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com
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