- Date Of Birth: March 29, 1933
- Date Of Death: October 19, 2021
- State: Illinois
Curtiss J. Biehn, 88, of O’Fallon, IL, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, at Morningside of Shiloh. He was born March 29, 1933, in Belleville, IL. After spending time there, rural Missouri, St. Louis, and Salt Lake City, Curt grew up in O’Fallon, IL with his mother while his father in the Army was stationed in Europe during World War II. Curt was a graduate of O’Fallon High School where he was active in student council and a proud varsity baseball player.
Drafted into the Army during the Korean War, his two-year assignment in Panama led to adventures that enriched years of storytelling, including memories of playing baseball with the locals. After Curt was honorably discharged from the United States Army, he enrolled at the University of Illinois. Two years later, Curt answered an ad for a draftsman as a summer job and was hired at Union Electric in St. Louis. Shortly afterward he transferred to the Alton, IL gas division of UE and worked as a gas project engineer then corrosion engineer until his retirement in 1995. His work to remedy an Alton system leakage was presented to the Senate Committee on Pipeline Safety, and his designs and records are still being used today.Curt married his beloved wife Mary Jean in 1962 and they settled in O’Fallon, to raise their family. Curt was passionate about traveling, coaching sports, and expressing his creativity. He served as the coach for his children’s sports teams and was an active member of the O’Fallon Booster Club for many years. In retirement, he and Mary Jean loved to travel and spend time with family.
They frequently took bus trips to see various national landmarks. Curt’s hobbies expressed his creative talents such as woodworking. He excelled at pen and ink drawing. Curt’s humor was often expressed in his cartoons and he illustrated two children’s books in his later years. Curt loved history and was very interested in his family’s genealogy in later years. Additionally, Curt was very involved in the lives of his grandchildren, attending games and recitals and going on vacations.Curt was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Otillia Biehn (nee Bailey).
Curt is survived by his beloved wife; Mary Jean Biehn (nee Starr), two children; Michelle (Aaron) Jones of O’Fallon, MO and Curt (Susan) Biehn of O’Fallon, IL, four grandchildren; Sarah Biehn of Columbus, OH, Adam Biehn of Cape Girardeau, MO, Lucas Biehn of O’Fallon, IL, and Andre Jones of O’Fallon, MO, two sisters-in-law; Carolyn (Ken) Gass of O’Fallon, IL and Kathy Sorenson of O’Fallon, IL, one brother-in-law; Michael Starr of O’Fallon, IL, and two nephews; Brett Robertson of O’Fallon, IL and Doug (Sara) Sorenson of St. Louis, MO. In Curt’s own words, “Jeanie and I fought the ups and downs of life, worked hard without complaint and succeeded in having a very happy life, with wonderful children and grandchildren. That’s happiness, not what money can buy.” The family would like to extend their deepest appreciation to the staff of Hospice of Southern Illinois and Morningside of Shiloh for their wonderful care of Curt.
