Gordon "Butch" M. Garnhar t , age 81, of Pearl City, IL passed away peacefully on September 29, 2021 at Liberty Village. Gordon was born on March 3, 1940 in Freeport, IL. He was the son of Robert and Zelda (Pierce) Garnhart. He graduated from Pearl City High School in 1958. On September 10, 1960 he married the love of his life, Carol Parkinson at the Little Brown Church in Nashau Iowa. They have been partners for life and happily married for 61 years.

Gordon proudly chose to serve his country in the United States Army and was stationed in Honolulu Hawaii, where he and Carol were blessed with the birth of their only son, Jeffrey Garnhart. Butch was very proud to be a veteran of our Armed Forces.

His life work was being a crane operator for the local union 150. He always enjoyed talking about the different jobs he worked on in the area. His church, Legion, and Masons were the organizations he gave his extra time too.

Trap shooting was the sport he truly loved and enjoyed. If he only shot 98 out of 100 it was a bad day for him. Exercising at the Y or socializing at the Coffee Pot were his form of entertainment. He made many great friends from this. He was an avid mushroom hunter, even known to sneak into a timber or two. Then he would share them with others. He loved to play tricks and pranks on others in his own way.

Gordon is survived by his wife, Carol; his brother, Marvin Garnhart of Uvalde, TX; his sisters, Charlotte Kitner of Sherburn, MN, Colleen (Jim) Raders of Lena, IL; his sister-in-law, Anita Reed of FL; his brothers-in-law, Lynn Parkinson of Bourbonnais, IL, Jim (Nancy) Parkinson of Forreston, Bill (Nancy) Parkinson of Springfield, TN; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his son, Jeff; his parents, Robert and Zelda Garnhart; Carol's parents, Burdette and Myrtle Parkinson; his sister, Mary Ann and her son, Scott; his brothers-in-law, Doug Kitner and Jim Reed; and his sisters-in-law, Marie Garnhart and Margie Garnhart.

The funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2021 at St. John Lutheran Church in Pearl City at 11:00 a.m. There will be a visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. Interment will take place at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Freeport with Military Honors and a Masonic Service. A memorial fund has been established.