Platner, Herbert M.'Herb'

Herbert M. “Herb” Platner, 84, of Mechanicsville, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids. Funeral services: 10 a.m. Saturday at Morgan Funeral and Cremation Choices, Mount Vernon, by the Rev. Andy Kelly. The family will greet friends from 4 until 7 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery, Mechanicsville, with military honors.

Surviving Herb are his wife of 59 years, Genevieve; their children, Jerry (Christene Midyett) of Mechanicsville, Larry (Cynthia) of Lisbon, Diana (Steve) Kirkpatrick of Mechanicsville, Tom (Lona) of Cedar Grove, Wis., and Teresa (Dan) Kohl of Mechanicsville; 13 grandchildren, Sara (Josh) Brislawn, Mandy (Mike) Holman, Dusty Platner; Angela, Laura, Andy Platner; Kevin and Jacob Kirkpatrick; Josh (Amber) Platner, T. J. Platner; Nicki Kohl, Jenna (Dustin) Lenz and Jesse Kohl; three great-grandchildren, Tayten and Jordan Platner and Daniel Brislawn; and a sister, Helen Farrington.

Preceding Herb in death were his parents; and two sisters, Edith Puffer and Arlene Ross.

Herb was born on the family farm in rural Cedar County on April 11, 1925, the third child of Howard and Hazle Miller Platner. He graduated from Mechanicsville High School in 1942. Herb farmed on the family farm until entering the U.S. Army, serving in Korea during the war. After the service he returned to farming. He married Genevieve Crock in Mechanicsville on Aug. 12, 1950. Herb was a member of Busch-Dennis American Legion Post 309 of Mechanicsville.

Herb was a perfectionist when it came to his farm and home. He enjoyed mushroom hunting, number and word puzzle books, painting his farm buildings, lawn mowing, and riding his four-wheeler. Herb loved to take the grandchildren to parades and attend their activities.

In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials in Herb's honor may be made to the volunteers of the Mechanicsville Ambulance Service, P.O, Box 190, Mechanicsville, IA 52306.

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