Russell Kern

Russell J. Kern, 78, of Cambridge, died Wednesday, November 2, 2016, All Souls' Day, at UnityPoint Health - Methodist Hospital, Peoria.  Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 8th, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Cambridge.  Father John Burns will officiate.  Burial will be at the Rock Island National Cemetery, Arsenal Island, with military services.  Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at the church with a parish rosary at 4:30.  Memorials may be made to the Russell Kern Memorial Fund.  Stackhouse-Moore Funeral & Cremation Services, Cambridge, is assisting the family with the arrangements.

Russell James Kern was born January 11, 1938 in Mosinee, Wisconsin, the son of Arthur and Martha Oprzendek Kern.  He was raised and educated in Gary, Indiana, and graduated from Lew Wallace High School in 1956.  He served in the U. S. Army from March 7, 1962 until retiring with the rank of Staff Sergeant on December 18, 1970.  Russell served a one year tour of duty in Vietnam and received the National Defense Service Medal, a Bronze Star Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Bronze Service Stars, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device, and the Good Conduct Medal.

He was employed at U. S. Steel in Gary from 1970 to 1980.  He moved to Tulsa, OK, and worked at the University of Tulsa until retiring in 2000.  Russell then did some part time work in the Tulsa area until moving to Cambridge in 2003.  His memberships included the Cambridge American Legion Post No. 417 and St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Cambridge.  Russell was a lifetime member of the Izaak Walton League of Geneseo.  He enjoyed fishing and was an avid Chicago Cubs and Green Bay Packer fan.

Those surviving are his daughter and son-in-law, Theresa and Matt Moody, Cambridge, grandchildren, Kayleigh Stone (fiancé-Wade Brewer), Rhiannon Kiefer, Hunter Kiefer, Marine Corporal Christopher Fox, Hailey Moody, Kyle Moody, and several great grandchildren.  Other survivors include, four children from his first marriage, James (Alberta) Nettles, Amelia Rose Kern, Marcia (Dino) Travlino, and Elwood Nettles, a grandson, Jimmy (Katrina) Nettles, several other grandchildren and great grandchildren, a brother, Jerome (Mary) Kern, Lansing, IL, a sister, Joan Lodovisi, Indianapolis, IN, and a goddaughter, Lisa Lewandowski.  His parents, a brother-in-law, Vic Lodovisi, and a nephew, Larry Lodovisi, preceded him in death.