John F Rundquist

John F. “Jack” Rundquist died Wednesday, August 23, 2023, at the age of 100. The family has planned a private family memorial with burial at Ware's Grove Cemetery in Rural Butler, IL. Son of Harry and Olga Rundquist, Jack graduated from Moline High School in 1941 and from the University of Illinois (B.S. ’46, M.S. ’47, agronomy). After his marriage to Anita Turner Rundquist on February 22, 1948, in Urbana, IL, he and Anita lived on the family farm, Evergreen Farms near Butler, IL. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, his grandson, Andrew K. Wedekind, his sister, Margaret Zastrow and his nephew, Richard Osborne.

Jack is survived by his children, Ann Butler, (husband, Jim), Barbara Clark (husband, George), John Rundquist (wife, Sherri), Martha O’Mara (husband, Mark) & Becky Wedekind (husband, Wayne); his grandchildren, John Rundquist (wife, Kristal), Tyler Rundquist (fiancé, Victoria), Kate Wedekind, Mike O’Mara (wife, Cassie) & Kevin O’Mara (wife, Rose); and his greatgrandchildren, Bode Niemeier, Bryce Niemeier, August Rundquist & Aspen Rundquist.

Jack was always interested in agriculture. In his early days, he rode his bicycle from his parents’ home in Joliet to his cousin’s place northwest of the city where he helped feed, water, and care for chickens. His summer job after high school was working at the John Deere plant in Rock Island, IL. He continued his love of agriculture by studying agronomy at the University of Illinois. Jack followed his passion and dedicated his life to farming and to education, research, and innovation in agriculture. Later in life, he pursued an interest in propagating and planting trees. He realized his dream of harvesting his crops of pecans at Evergreen Farms.

Jack served as a founding organizer and director of First Community Bank from 1998-2022. He also served as Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture 1989-1991 as well as on the Illinois Department of Agriculture Board of Livestock Commissioners. He was a member of the Hillsboro Community Unit School Board for 12 years.

He served as an officer of county, state and national Pork Producer organizations and traveled extensively furthering the swine industry in the US and internationally. Among his many honors and awards, he received Prairie Farmer magazine’s Master Farmer, Illinois Pork Producers Service Award, Commercial Producer of the Year by the National Swine Improvement Federation and Exceptional Service Award by the U of I College of Agriculture Alumni Association.

 He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of the Butler Union Church.

Memorials – Hillsboro Educational Foundation Anita and Jack Rundquist Scholarship, Rundquist Family JBT Scholarship Fund at the University of Illinois Foundation, Butler Union Church.

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