Eugene E. "Steve" Stevenson, 93, formerly of Marseilles, passed away Tuesday November 5, 2019 at Illinois Veterans Home in LaSalle.

Services will be private and inurnment will be in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood. Seals-Campbell Funeral Home in Marseilles is handling the arrangements.

Steve was born August 25, 1926, in Walkerton, IN, to Arley "Wade" and Ellen "Isabelle" (Clark) Stevenson, the second eldest of six children. He married Marian R. Carothers on October 9, 1946. Steve and Marian were married for 71 years when she passed away in August of 2018. He was always very proud of her for being dependable and helping him to raise a good family. They were part of "The Greatest Generation" as labeled by Tom Brokaw in his book.

Like most kids of the time, Steve enjoyed fishing; but also as most kids in the 30's, he had to work hard to earn money for the family. His mother passed away when he was 14. When Steve was 15, he climbed on a freight train going east to Baltimore, and then made his way over 600 miles to Atlanta by mostly walking. He washed pans in bakeries for food, unloaded trucks at farmer's markets, and did other odd jobs to earn a living. Next, he made his way to McAllen, TX where he got a job building a Japanese Internment Camp. It was winter and his only quarters were a box car full of straw. From McAllen, he made his way to Lubbock, TX where he had a job hauling crude oil and his next stop was in Colorado where he had a job as time keeper for Southern RR. In time, jobs became more difficult to find due to his age and lack of a formal ID.

In 1943, he returned to Walkerton, IN as World War II was starting. He lied about his age and enlisted in the Navy in September of 1943. He reenlisted for two more years at the end of the war and was assigned to the USS Nevada, the target ship for the Atomic bomb test at Bikini in July, 1946. Steve was assigned to another ship to watch the test. After the blast he was sent, with two scientists using Geiger counters, to test for radiation on the USS Nevada which did not sink. Eventually, he returned to the states and was assigned to the USS New Jersey for the Good Will Tour of Europe. Steve was honorably discharged as a QM2 in October of 1947. He loved the Navy, but now looked forward to making his mark in the world as a civilian.

Although he did not graduate from high school, he graduated from Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana in 1951. His experience as a naval navigator gave him the knowledge and experience to pass the entrance exam. In addition to going to college, Steve worked for John Deere Tractor, Armco Pipe Co., and General Motors to support his wife and three kids.

Steve went on to become the LaSalle County Superintendent of Highways from 1959 to 1982, was the President of the Marseilles School Board, was an elected member of the Marseilles City Council and a respected member of the community. Steve donated land for a children's playground and in 2015 the Exelon Generation Danelson-Stevenson Park was created at the corner of 10 ^th Street and Andrew Lane in Marseilles.

He is survived by his children, Chris Jarvis of Yankton, SD, Norma Jean (Al) Nakaerts of Marseilles, and Tomme Stevenson of Alpharetta, GA; five grandchildren, Kristi, Jenni, Eric, Julie and Tyler; four great-grandchildren, Erica, Trevor, Avery and Logan; and one great great-granddaughter, Olivia.

A child's note: Dad was never afraid of being a parent. He expected each of us to be honest and treat others well. He was always there for us. He instilled in us valuable lessons that we live by to this day; always be honest, dependable, and caring. He will be forever missed.

Seals-Campbell Funeral Home

1009 E. Bluff St., Marseilles, IL 61341

815-795-5151 www.sealscampbell.com