Ronald H. "Ronnie" Duesterhaus of Mendon, IL, died on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. Ronnie was born on December 24, 1937, in Quincy, the son of Vullmar "Boon" and Agnes (Genenbacher) Duesterhaus.

He married Barbara L. Neisen on May 17, 1958, in
St. Joseph Catholic Church, and she survives. Ronnie was a
lifelong farmer. He raised hogs and enjoyed spending time in the fields.

Ronnie served in the U.S. Army Reserves. As a member of St.
Edward Catholic Church in Mendon, he was active in the Men's Club. He was a member of the Mendon Lions Club and served on the board of the Ursa Farmer's Co-Op for ten years.
Ronnie was an avid sports fan who supported his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in their activities. He also enjoyed watching all types of sports on television. Ronnie bowled for many years. He truly loved time on the tractor, mowing his grass, and "Papa Ronnie" adored giving his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren rides on his side-by-side.

Ronnie met his wife, Barb, at the Adams County Fair and they married in 1958. Barb still lives on their family farm in Mendon, IL and enjoys cooking for her family and taking care of her beautiful yard.

​Ronnie was a lifetime Adams County Fair and Illinois State Fair goer. He was involved with 4-H at an early age and was both a 4-H leader and a 4-H fast pitch coach. All five of Ronnie and Barb’s children were involved in 4-H which included showing swine at the Adams County Fairgrounds. The 4-H show was an all-day family event for many years and continues to be a family tradition.

For the lunch break, the whole family would head to the car, pop the trunk, and enjoy fried chicken prepared by Barb with other 4-H families. Ronnie’s boys spent the night at the fair in their 2-ton truck covered with a canvas and slept on cots. Eventually the family graduated to a pop-up camper and went directly from the Adams County Fair to the Illinois State Fair.

Showing swine at the Adams County Fair is a family tradition and his great-grandchildren are currently carrying on that tradition. Ronnie’s favorite day of the fair was show day. Ronnie enjoyed helping his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren prepare their swine to show at the fair. He helped all generations of the family walk and feed the pigs to prepare them for the show ring while Barb helped the girls with their other projects such as sewing and foods.

Ronnie would typically exhibit seed corn and enjoyed the tractor pull, fair food, and the milkshakes! He served on the fair night guard as a member of the Mendon Lions for many years. He did not know a stranger and was able to talk to anyone regardless of age. Seeing so many of his family and friends at the fair gave him the opportunity to visit and he loved this. He always had a smile on his face and is remembered for that smile.
Ronnie’s memorial fund to the Adams County Fair swine barn has helped to make several improvements including adding a beam to expand the show ring and adding new gates for the pens. His memorial bench sits outside of the swine building where family and friends stop by to visit.

His family continues to expand with five children, eleven grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren: Daryl (Dara) Duesterhaus of Mendon; Kent (Stacy) Duesterhaus; Denise (Dave) Taylor; JeE (Krys) Duesterhaus and Ronna (Daniel)
Roberts all of Quincy. Grandchildren: Bret (Michelle) Duesterhaus; Erin (Andy) Frazier; Jill (Josh) Venvertloh; Blake (Bailee)
Duesterhaus; Melinda Brown; Chase Brown; Lainey (Andrew) Jurgesmeyer; Brenner (Rayvin) Duesterhaus; Benet Duesterhaus; Lacey (Noah) Brinkman; and Lauren Roberts. Great- Grandchildren: Abby and Evan Wolfmeyer; Cora and Evelyn Frazier; Josie and Jace Venvertloh; Ayda and Myla Duesterhaus; Charley Jurgesmeyer and Baby Brinkman is on the way.

Memories of Grandpa Ronnie:

We will always appreciate grandpa’s patience with the little ones and how he never hesitated when they wanted to go on a ride on the side-by-side or go see the pigs, make “Yemonade” or eat ice cream, stirred to the perfect consistency.

We will never forget how he always seemed to smell of
peppermints and shaving cream and his tea glass always sat on the end of grandma’s counter. We will never forget how he never missed a sporting event for his kids, or his grandkids and we are sure every time we attend a game without you, we will still hear your coined phrase “Hit the Ball.”

We know he loved watching all of us grow up on the farm and show our pigs at the fair. And we know that the men in the community won’t soon forget how you always gave them a hard time, asking them “Shouldn’t you be working?”

Most importantly, I’ll never forget the time that grandma told me, “She couldn’t have picked a better man.” That choice allowed us to have the best dad, grandpa, great-grandpa, uncle, cousin and friend.


Thank you, grandpa and grandma, for being the building blocks for this crazy, loud, hard-working, opinionated, loyal, but always willing to lend a helping hand family. You guys did such a wonderful job!

We hope heaven is full of all the sports channels that you could ever want, and we hope that just once in while someone walks in front of you so you can still say, “Hey! You make a better door than a window!” We love you Grandpa, and we know that you will be watching over us until we get to see you again.