George E. Courter

George E. Courter, beloved Husband, Father, G-Pa, and Friend, died peacefully on October 7, 2021, surrounded by loved ones. George was born December 9, 1941 to Lucille (Gunther) and Wayne M. Courter.  He grew up on a small farm south of Knoxville and enjoyed farming all his life. He graduated from Knoxville High School in 1959 and then from the University of Illinois, where he was a proud member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. George retired from the Maytag Corporation after a 30 year career. He also managed and maintained his family farm – a job from which he never retired.  As an alumnus of University of Illinois, he remained an avid Chief Illiniwek fan, attending games regularly with a dear friend. He was a member of the Knoxville American Legion for over 50 years. Surviving to cherish his memory are his wife of 20 years, JoElla; their daughters, Amy (Bill) Wright of Suwanee, GA, and Anje (Bob) Foster of Galesburg; grandchildren, Megan, Alyssa, Grant, Erik, Luke, and Kayla; brother, Richard (Gayanne, deceased) of Portland, Oregon, and several cousins. We will have an open-house style celebration of his life from 1-4 PM on Friday, October 15, 2021, at the Thomas Legacy Center at Watson Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory, 1849 N. Seminary ST., Galesburg, IL.  We ask that you bring your memories of George to share as we gather to honor this faith-filled and family-centered man. Memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.