Paul David Stuerke, son of Rudolph Fritz and Olinda Evert Stuerke, was born on May 3, 1943, in Higginsville, Missouri, and died at OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center, Urbana, IL on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

Celebration of Life Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 4, 2018 at the Tuscola United Methodist Church, 901 North Prairie Street, Tuscola, IL with military rites accorded. Private family interment will be in the TUMC columbarium.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday, June 3, 2018 at the Hilligoss Shrader Funeral Home, 705 South Main Street, Tuscola, IL.

Paul grew up on a farm two miles west of Sweet Springs, Missouri. His elementary school years were spent at Holy Cross Lutheran School, and the family attended Holy Cross Lutheran Church, all in Emma, Missouri. At Sweet Springs R-7 High School, he was president of the Sophomore Class, Outstanding Sophomore, was active in FFA (serving as president in his senior year, at which time he was also named an FFA State Farmer), was a member of National Honor Society, and competed in track at the state level with his specialty being "the 440". He attended the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri, graduating with a B. S. degree in Agri-Business.

He became employed by DeKalb AgResearch upon graduation in 1965 and remained with the company until his retirement in October of 1999. He was Assistant Manager of the DeKalb plant in Tuscola, Illinois, at the time of his retirement, having worked in the company's hybrid seed production division throughout his career in Marshall, Missouri; Ulysses, Kansas; Kearney, Nebraska; and Tuscola, Illinois.

During the years 1967 and 1968 he served in the United States Army, beginning at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri, then training as an Air Traffic Controller and graduating with honors at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. The remainder of his duty was served at Nellingan U. S. Army Post, near Stuttgart, Germany. At the end of his military service, he held the rank of Specialist Five.

Paul married Elizabeth (Betsy) Wall--his high school sweetheart-- on July 31, 1965, in Sweet Springs, Missouri. In February of 1972, their first daughter Mary Elizabeth was adopted in Marshall, Missouri. In May of 1974, a second daughter, Jennifer Anne, was born in Kearney, Nebraska.

Paul was an active member of the Jaycees organization in Ulysses, Kansas. He joined the Tuscola Rotary Club in 1980 and was recognized as Rotarian of the Year in 1990. In 1997 he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow by his Tuscola Rotary Club members.

He was active in the Tuscola United Methodist Church, serving on the Staff-Parish Committee, the Board of Trustees, the Administrative Board, and the Finance Committee. Through the church, he participated in several Habitat for Humanity work camps and served in various volunteer capacities at church as well as the community.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother James Stuerke and sister-in-law Nadine Stuerke of Higginsville, Missouri; sister Eunice Stuerke Jenkins and brother-in-law Floyd Jenkins of Warrensburg, Missouri; and brother Bill Stuerke, Higginsville, Missouri.

He is survived by his wife Betsy and daughter Mary Stuerke, both of Tuscola; daughter Jenny (Jason) Bisonette of Hayward, Wisconsin; brother Neal (Phyllis), of Sweet Springs, Missouri; and sister-in-law Carol Stuerke, Higginsville, Missouri, and many nieces and nephews.

Paul is grandfather to Bailey Burton, Samuel Bisonette, Gabriel Bisonette, and Nathaniel Bisonette and considered this to be the most enjoyable aspect of his life.

Paul's interests included gardening and lawn work. His tomatoes were the best in the world, and he greatly enjoyed "fixing things"--his life with a wife and two daughters gave him ample opportunities to do just that. He and his wife Betsy had many wonderful travel adventures together.

Memorial donations are suggested to SAM Food Pantry c/o Tuscola United Methodist Church or to Alzheimer's Association.

Online condolences may be shared via hilligossshraderfh.com