Joe "Mick" Vrban

Joe L. “Mick” Vrban, 78, of Colona, died Sunday, September 30, 2018, at UnityPoint Health-Trinity Rock Island.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, October 5, 2018, at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, Ltd., 6601-38th Avenue, Moline. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m., Thursday, October 4, at the funeral home, where a Masonic Service will be held at 7 p.m.  Burial will be at Dayton Cemetery, Colona, Il.  Memorials may be made to the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children or the Clement Masonic Lodge #680.  All need to use 60th Street for access to the funeral home.

Joe L. was born on August 11, 1940, in Moline, IL, the son of Joe F. and Elinor (Robinson) Vrban. Friends and family called him Mick, which is the nickname his sister Carol started using for him when he was just a baby.

He graduated from United Township High School and enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in Germany and Washington D.C. After being honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant, he served four more years of reserve duty.

Mick married Sandra Frame Morris in 1968 in Silvis, Ill., happily choosing to be dad to Sandra’s four children. Mick and Sandy added three more children and they raised their family in Green River, Ill.

He proudly worked for John Deere Harvester Works and retired in 1997 after 30 years as a welder.

Mick was an active member and former Worshipful Master at Clement Masonic Lodge #680, Colona; a member of the Colona/Green Rock American Legion, where he proudly served on the memorial rifle squad honoring other veterans. He was a Boy Scout troop leader when his boys were younger.

Mick was a proud, private man, who loved his family, community, and country. He thoroughly enjoyed time with his grandchildren and shared simple joys with them – fishing on the banks of the canal, worm hunting, backyard archery, whittling sticks, coin collecting.

He protected the earth to preserve its beauty and fruit for future generations.

Survivors include sons, Dean (Brenda), Eldon, Missouri, Scott (Dawn), Colona, IL, Carl (Vicky), Pottsboro, TX; daughters Sherry (Joe) Lambert, Carbon Cliff, IL, Jennifer (Jason) Kneen, Moline, and Mikki Vrban (Brian) Krantz, Moline; more than 30 grandchildren and great grandchildren; brother James L. “Jocko” (Carole), and sister Carol Stout. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Sandra, son Jim, and granddaughter Amy Lynn.

Memories may be shared on the tribute wall.