Gregg Carr

HENNEPIN — Gregg Carr, 65, left this earth on Friday, June 28, 2019, for his eternal glory in Heaven, leaving behind the cancer that he fought so positively and valiantly for four years. His faith, his family, his friends, and the doctors and nurses at the University of Iowa kept him going well beyond his life expectancy, and he inspired so many along the way with his words of faith and humor in his blog called Faith and Laughter from Gregg.

Gregg was born in Spring Valley on Sept. 26, 1953, to Herbert and Hertha (Ritterbush) Carr. Growing up, he learned the value and importance of hard work, family and faith from his mother and father. He loved working on the family farm, yet his writing and speaking talents led him to pursue other goals.

He was active in 4-H, speech and FFA at Putnam County High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois.

Every summer between high school and college graduation, he interned for the Hampshire Herdsman in Peoria, where he met the love of his life, Linda Dodson. He graduated from U of I in May 1975, became managing editor of the Herdsman upon graduation, and married Linda in September of that year.

In September of 1976, Linda and Gregg moved home to work on the family farm, and in 1979, he and his brother, Gail, became partners and bought the family farm from their parents. They farmed together for 38 years and retired from the farm at the end of 2014. In 1983, Gregg and Linda were blessed with a son, Jason, and five years later were doubly blessed with a daughter, Heather.

In 1999, Gregg made a dramatic change in his life and asked God to remove his compulsion to drink. God intervened and Gregg joined Alcoholics Anonymous to help maintain sobriety and help others to achieve it, too. He was a regular at King’s House, and along with several others, he co-founded an AA chapter in Granville. He learned the practice of living in the solution instead of in the problem, and it prepared him for his next obstacle in life.

He was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer on Easter Sunday of 2015 and began treatments at the Holden Cancer Unit in Iowa City. He took this time to start his blog and wrote a book about his battles with alcoholism and cancer. His positive attitude towards life inspired many followers.

He volunteered for the McNabb-Magnolia Ambulance service and later as an EMT with Putnam County EMS. He was a trustee and president of Putnam County Education Foundation, president of Marshall-Putnam Pork Producers, director of M-P County Fair Board, vice president of Putnam County School Board and secretary of McNabb Grain Company Board. He also was a host on WRVY radio in Henry for over a year. He also worked diligently alongside other family farmers to fight the corporate takeover of American agriculture and was instrumental in getting several laws passed in that regard.

Gregg and his wife belonged to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Hennepin. Gregg sang in the choir at St. Mary’s in Henry for many years.

Gregg loved life, and he loved helping others. He believed that equal rights was a God-given right for every person and lived by that wonderful line attributed to Jesus: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me!”

He is survived by his wife, Linda; his children, Jason Carr and Heather (Tony) Baker; his granddaughter, Roselyn Baker; his sister-in-law, Cyndy Carr; many nieces and nephews; and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Gail; and a nephew, Carson Allgood.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 6, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Hennepin with Father Patrick DeMeulemeester officiating. Burial will be in Friends Cemetery in McNabb.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 5, at the Dysart-Cofoid Funeral Chapel in Granville.

Memorials may be made to Putnam County EMS or Cops4Cancer.

Pallbearers are Andy Jackson, Mark Hameister, Damon Carr, Andrew Chirello, Terry Laible, Glenn Feddericke and Sam Morgensen. Honorary pallbearers are Susan Coleman, Bill Bouxsein, Roger Neuhalfen, Keith Venz, Mike Yepson and Gary Gray.

Online condolences may be made to his family at www.dcfunerals.com.