George McIntyre Korns, 91 of Aledo, passed away Sunday, September 17, 2023, at home. A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, September 22, at the United Methodist Church in Aledo. Inurnment will be in the Aledo Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, September 21, at the United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Mercer County Veterans Grave Marker Program, Furever Friends/Mercer County Animal Control, or the Aledo Fire Company. Fippinger Funeral Home, Aledo, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences can be made at www.fippingerfuneralhome.com.
George was born August 13, 1932, in Akron, Ohio. He was the son of Donald Hartzell Korns and Alverta Lucille Conrad Korns. He was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow. In 1950, after graduation high school, he enlisted in the US Marine Corp and served in Korea from 1951-1952. He graduated from DeVry Tech in Chicago in 1956. While in school, he met and married his “lovely wife,” Carole Ann Olsen. They were married May 16, 1958, in Chicago’s Chapel in the Sky of the 1st Methodist Church. They had three children.
After they married, they moved to Barberton, Ohio, where he worked at Goodyear Aerospace and flew on the blimp. He was on the crew for the delivery of the last blimp for the US Navy. They relocated to Aledo in 1965 to work at Olsen Lumber and Supply. He also worked at Knox Heating and Cooling, and owned and operated Korns Plumbing and Heating and Korns Car Wash, all in Aledo. He retired from Franciscan Hospital in Rock Island. After retirement, he worked at Lake Warren in Monmouth doing building and grounds maintenance. He also helped run Indian Trails Resort in Branson, Missouri, for four years. Two volunteer positions that he took much pride in were being on the Aledo Fire Protection District for 20 years, where he was a mentor to train new firemen on interior firefighting, and collecting data for the National Weather Service for 35 years.
George loved going on his annual Minnesota fishing trip for 20 + years. He went on the Honor Flight with Amy to Washington DC and to Frakes, Kentucky to the Henderson Settlement on 3 mission trips. George also loved driving the VA van to Iowa City, making pancakes for the pancake breakfast at the fire department, serving others with personal projects, camping, making model airplanes, crafting canoes and kayaks, making golf clubs, gardening, canning, making and drinking wine out of a Marine Corp coffee cup, making and repairing furniture, collecting cast iron skillets and frogs, and going on the daily “boat ride.”
George is survived by his wife, Carole; three children including: Donald (Vickie) Korns, Aledo, Amy (the late Tim) Studer, Monmouth, and Jennifer (Adam) Kilcoin, Reynolds; eight grandchildren: Jesse (Melissa) Korns, Austin (Mariah) Korns, Mandy Studer, Nathan Studer, Maggie Studer, Cain Kilcoin, Christian Kilcoin, and Clare Kilcoin; five great grandchildren: Josiah, Gentry, Leroy, Sia, and Macintyre; and AFS exchange student and son, Amnat Satarak.