OBITUARY
Name: Gordon Hollingsworth Tharp
From: The Northwest News Group,
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Gordon Hollingsworth Tharp
Born: June 4, 1920; in Chicago
Died: September 12, 2009; in Elkhorn, Wis.
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. Gordon Hollingsworth Tharp, 89, of Lake Geneva, Wis., died
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn, Wis. He
was born June 4, 1920, in Chicago to Charles and Mercena (Pride) Tharp.
Formerly of Nekoosa, Wis., during the summer and Bull Head City, Ariz., in
winter months, he had been a resident of Lake Geneva for the past five years.
Before to retirement, he was a custodian for the U.S. Post Office in Woodstock.
He was a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving as a bombardier
during World War II and the Korean War, and the recipient of a Purple Heart. He
was a past commander with American Legion Post 491, and served as club manager
for Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 5040 and the Chapel Hill Country Club. He was a
member of the A.F. & A.M. Masonic Lodge. He enjoyed music and dancing, was an
avid baker and enjoyed cooking.
He is survived by his wife, Thelma (Henderson) Tharp; four daughters, Marilynn
(Richard) Spence of Sevierville, Tenn., Donna Tharp of Wonder Lake, Karen (Dave)
Nader of Milwaukee, and Marjorie Kuhns of Wonder Lake; six grandchildren, Sharon
Bennett, Noreen McConnell, Amy Nader, Laura (Greg) Nessler, Julie (Kurk) Kreiger,
and Charles (Aubrey) Kuhns; 12 great-grandchildren, Jade, Nathan, Brendan,
Ariel, Taylor, David, Kevin, Venessa, Karl, Andry, Callie and Hayden; a
brother-in-law, Richard Sanders of Elmhurst; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy, in 1985; an infant son, Charles;
and a brother, Lowell.
The visitation will be from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at
Justen Funeral Home & Crematory, 3700 W. Charles J. Miller Road, McHenry. The
funeral service will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Interment will be private.
For those wishing to send an expression of condolence, memorials directed to the
World War II Memorial Fund would be appreciated by his family.