John L. Hert

John Lynn Hert, Jr., 81, of Poplar Bluff died Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff.

Mr. Hert was born Dec. 13, 1927 in St. Louis. He was a member of Little Brushy Cemetery at Wappapello, and had retired after 42 years with Missouri Pacific Railroad. Mr. Hert was a veteran of the U. S. Navy having served during WWII. He was a member of Scottish Rite Bodies of Southern Ill.; Columbia Masonic Lodge, Columbia, Ill.; Belleville Shriners, Belleville, Ill.; as well as a 33 Degree Mason. Mr. Hert enjoyed hunting and fishing.

On Sept. 24, 1978 he married Donna Fay (LeGrand) Hicks in Dupo, Ill. She survives.

Other survivors include two children: Carol Lynn Vanduable and John Lynn Hert, III both of Ellisville, Mo.; four step-children: Shirley Ann Weiss, of Houston, Tex., Kenneth Hicks of Murphysboro, Ill., Nancy Joan Ryan of Clearwater, Fla. and Patricia Diane Smith of Houston, Tex.; and 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 1 - 2 p.m. Thursday at the Wappapello Cotrell Funeral Chapel. A graveside service with full military honors will follow at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield with the Rev. Tim Schulz.