Dale "Gene" Zellers

Dale "Gene" Zellers, 83, of rural Robinson, IL, died January 14, 2021, at Regional Hospital in Terre Haute, IN. He was born January 12, 1938, near Porterville, IL, the son of Edgar & Roberta (Hall) Zellers, both of whom preceded him in death. Also preceding him in death were his grandson, Tyler Zellers on January 9, 2020; his brother & sister-in-law, Gary & Shirley Zellers; his brothers-in-law & sisters-in-law, Robert & Sybil Newlin, Ann & Harry Gene Smith, and Larry Brush; and his father-in-law & mother-in-law, Sam & Margaret Lynn. He married Martha Lynn on December 29, 1962, and they were married for 58 years before his passing. He is also survived by his son & daughter-in-law, Brad & Janice Zellers (Hutsonville, IL); his daughter, Stacey Zellers (Lawrenceville, IL); his granddaughters, Christina & Mike Arvin (Hutsonville, IL), Sophia Zellers (Lawrenceville, IL) and Erica Zellers (Lawrenceville, IL); his grandson, Christopher Zellers (Lawrenceville, IL); and by five great-grandchildren, Brittany Young, Tiffany Arvin, Brian Arvin, Cassy Arvin, and Gracelyn Arvin (all of Hutsonville, IL). His sisters, Faye Stanfield (Robinson, IL) and Kaye & Larry Waggoner (Robinson, IL) also survive, as does his sister-in-law, Jane Brush (New Berlin, IL), and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Gene grew up in the Porterville, IL area and graduated from Robinson High School in 1955. He went on to join the U.S. Army in 1958 and proudly served his country in Korea until being honorably discharged in 1961. He returned to the Robinson area and worked in the oil field as well as Case Mfg. In 1966, Gene joined IUOE Local #841 as an operating engineer and except for a brief time when he owned Zellers Machine Shop, he worked as an operator until he retired in 2001. He enjoyed construction work and was especially proficient with a backhoe. In fact, he was fairly well-known for his steady hand operating the backhoe. He had his own backhoe business in addition to his work with the IUOE and did many jobs in the area as well. Gene was active in his community, as evidenced by his lifetime memberships in the following organizations: the VFW Post #4549, IUOE Local #841, and Valley of Danville Scottish Rite. He was also a longtime and active member of the York Lodge #313. Gene was, by all accounts, an outdoorsman. He loved to hunt mushrooms, garden, and (of course), run his backhoe. Homemade ice cream was a great source of joy in his life, as were the Green Bay Packers. More than anything, however, he simply loved his family. His grandkids and great-grandkids were the light of his life. Due to the increased public safety measures being enforced by the State of Illinois, funeral services will be private. However, a live stream of his service will be available to the public starting at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 18, 2021. This can be viewed on Goodwine Funeral Homes' Facebook page or by going to https://www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/live-stream/live-stream . Gene will be laid to rest in Kirk Cemetery. In honor of his grandson, memorial contributions may be made to the "HHS Alumni Association”, to be used for the Tyler Zellers Scholarship. Checks may be mailed to: Goodwine Funeral Homes 303 E Main St. Robinson, IL 62454 The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is in charge of arrangements.