St. Clair County Obits

GEORGIE CARL FORTNEY

Osceola Library files
Georgie Carl Fortney, 76, was born on August 3, 1911, in Filley, Mo., the son of Henry Scott and Bessie Ellen Fortney. He passed away at the Nevada City Hospital on Monday morning, May 9, 1988.
Carl grew up in Cedar County. In the 1930’s he lived in Iowa and was employed by the Strahn School System. He was not inducted into the service, because of a sawmill accident in his youth. This handicap made it necessary for him to invent rather ingenious devices to accomplish his work. In 1942, he went to work at the Sun Flower Ordinance Plant at Lawrence, Kans. Carl was later transferred to the Atomic Borno Plant at Oak Ridge, Tenn. He worked there until after the war.
In Knoxville, Tenn., on June 26, 1945, he was united in marriage to Lois Elaine Wharton. They moved to Cedar County to their farm north of Filley and lived there for more than 40 years.
He raised livestock. Carl loved the land and loved watching things grow. He was an agent for the Cedar County Farmers Mutual Insurance Company for 23 years. He was the El Dorado Springs City building inspector for several years. Carl had his own electrical and plumbing business in and around Cedar County. Many young men have expressed their appreciation for the skills they learned while working for Carl.
After heart surgery, Carl and Lois moved to El Dorado Springs. He enjoyed walking and would stop along the way and visit friends. Carl had a positive attitude and was always cheerful. He was a hard worker and was always busy at something. Even until the time of his death, he tried to accomplish something each day.
Carl was a member of the Filley Christian Church. He enjoyed working for the church and performed many maintenance services. At the age of 67, as a gift of love, he did the electrical work for the Park Street Christian Church. He was a member of the Clintonville Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by his wife, Lois, of the home; three children – Joyce Howorth of Winter Springs, Fla., Carl Kent Fortney and his wife Doris, of Nevada, and Jan Fortney of Kansas City; two grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; six brothers and sisters – Ray Fortney, Murriel Headlee, Helen Bishop and Ferne Choate all of El Dorado Springs, Erma Garrett of Donna, Texas and Betty Kelly of Wichita, Kansas.
Services were held on Wednesday afternoon, May 11, at 2 p.m. at the Hackleman Chapel with Brother Raymond Yarnell officiating. Interment was in the El Dorado Springs City Cemetery under the direction of the Hackleman and Sons Funeral Home. Pallbearers were Nolan Wackerly, Kennie Whitesell, Ellis Barritt, John Korth, Ronald Purtle and Joe Coulter.