Wilbert "Whips" C. Haberl

Wilbert C. "Whips" Haberl, 90, of Waterloo, IL, died February 11, 2017, at Columbia Care Center in Columbia, IL. He was born April 28, 1926, in Renault, IL, eldest son of the late John and Norma (nee Schook) Haberl.

    His large surviving family includes his wife, Merdel (nee Mueller), sons and daughters-in law, Kurt and Ann (nee Reichmann), Chris and Judy (nee Wittenauer), Ken and Melanie (nee Kittel), Brian and Marilyn (nee Straub), Jeff and Gina (nee Gehrs). He had one daughter, Karen, married to Kent Jones. He had twelve grandchildren, Jim Haberl (Betsy), Ellie Foster (James), John Haberl (Chiara), Jill Steffens (Joe), David Haberl, Denise Haberl, Stephanie Johnston (Jim), Annie Peters, Ben Haberl and Erika Hughes, Erinne Haberl and Melissa Haberl. He is survived by eleven great-grandchildren - Ollie, Annie, Nathan, Kate, Lucy, Patrick, Sofia, Aidan, Casper, Lily, and James. "Whips" is survived by two sisters, Joyce (Lehr), Emma Jean (Helfrich), one brother, Jerry, and a brother-in- law, Stanley (Butch) Lehr.

    Besides his parents he is preceded in death by his grand daughter Erika Christine Haberl, brother Marvin, and brother-in-law, Victor Helfrich.

    He was a lifelong member of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Waterloo. During World War II he enlisted in the Navy and served on the USS Klaskanine, a tanker that refueled ships in the South Pacific. He was a lifetime member of the Waterloo V.F.W. For 31 years he worked as an iron worker at Monsanto Company in Sauget. After retiring, he worked part-time as a custodian at Gibault High School. For many years he was a Khoury League coach who taught the fundamentals of baseball to a generation of young boys. He was an avid bowler, quitting only when the Bee Hive Bowl closed. Well-known for his sense of humor and many friends, "Whips" enjoyed basketball, baseball, and fishing with his sons.

As an expression of sympathy the family prefers memorial contributions to: 
Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church or
Sts. Peter and Paul Grade School tuition assistance fund in Waterloo

Visitation:
    4 PM to 8 PM Thursday, February 16, 2017 at Quernheim Funeral Home
    8 AM until 10 AM Friday 

Funeral Mass:
    10:30 AM Friday, February 17, 2017 at SS Peter & Paul Church in Waterloo, IL
        Msgr. Carl Scherrer officiating
    Interment at SS Peter & Paul Cemetery in Waterloo, IL

VFW Service 7 PM Thursday