NEIL OPPENDIKE, 79, of Prophetstown, IL, died Sunday, March 3, 2019 at CGH Medical Center in Sterling, IL.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 9, 2019, at the Bosma-Gibson Funeral Home in Prophetstown, preceded by a visitation from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Rev. Jan Shaulis, pastor of Leon and Fenton United Methodist Churches is officiating. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in Prophetstown. A memorial has been established.

Neil was born March 8, 1939 in Sterling, IL, to Millard and Minita (Gentz) Oppendike. He attended rural Centerville Grade School and high schools in Polo, IL and Crandon, WI. He graduated from Prophetstown High School. He married Jana Waldbusser on August 14, 1960 at the Leon United Methodist Church, Prophetstown. While he was in high school Neil worked for the Prophetstown Echo Newspaper, and by the late 1960’s he was the owner and publisher of the Echo. He later sold the Echo and kept Heritage Print shop for a few years. He then moved on to do financial services for Waddel and Reed, where he was a district manager. After leaving W & R he founded Good Wood Custom Homes, a custom home builder. He enjoyed snowmobiling and buying, restoring and selling vintage Porsche automobiles. He was a Boy Scout leader, and had a lifelong passion for American Indian lore. He put on Indian pow wows in the early 70’s in Prophetstown, and developed a worldwide reputation for the quality of his Indian beadwork. He loved taking his children boating and camping.

Survivors include his wife, Jana; one son, Kevin (Chris) Oppendike; one daughter, Karen (Kevin Sproul); three grandchildren, Chris, Megan and Andrew; two great grandchildren, Carter and Margot.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

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