George Oscar Wendt, C.L.U., was born August 18, 1940, the third of five sons of Earl L. and Helen L. McClean Wendt. He was preceded in death by his mother and father and three brothers, Earl III, Bill, and Mike. He is survived by one brother, Patrick. George graduated from Moline Senior High School in 1958 and from the University of Iowa with a BBA in Marketing in 1962. He was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. In 1962, he became a Life Insurance Agent with New York Life and then a General Agent for Indianapolis Life and Occidental Life, earning the C.L.U. designation in1967. In 1985, he became a Safety Inspector for the Illinois Department of Labor until his retirement.

He married Martha Jean (Jeanie) Hamilton on September 8, 1962. Their children are George "Greg" Oscar, Jr. (Kelly), David Hamilton (Irina), Martha Jean (Mike Mosley), Helen Louise (Al Rodis), and McClean Clark (Yvonne). They have eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

During his time in Moline, he served actively in the First Congregational Church, the Uptown Business Association, Rock Island County Life Underwriters, Quad City Estate Planning Council, Rotary, Optimist, and the Rock Island County Republican Party. In Bloomington, he served on the Republican Party Executive Board, the McLean County Old Barn Society, the McLean County Board, the Unit Five Advisory Council, and the Second Presbyterian Church.

George’s hobby from the age of eleven until his death was politics. The high point of his involvement was meeting President Ronald Reagan and having a photograph taken of Reagan holding his two-month-old son, McClean. He enjoyed running campaigns. In 2010, he became a member of the McLean County Board and served for fourteen years. Other hobbies included woodworking. He remodeled all the rooms in their home in Bloomington, including moving walls, as well as the carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work. He turned a corn crib into a woodshop and a clubhouse. He built the cabinets throughout the house using existing and new materials. After the house was finished, he made a scale model of the house.

His very happy childhood led to a happy family and a productive life. The happiest years of his life were the last thirty years on their 5-acre farmstead in Bloomington, with horses and other animals that his grandchildren and many others, young and old, could enjoy. He finished the story of his life this year in his book, George’s Life. “It’s a great feeling to have such a beautiful place to end our lives.” – George Wendt, 2026.

A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Second Presbyterian Church, 404 North Prairie Street, Bloomington, IL, with a visitation from 9 am to 11 am, prior to the service. A luncheon at the church will follow the service. Burial will take place at Blooming Grove Cemetery (aka Orendorff Memorial Cemetery), 1540 East Rd., Bloomington, IL, following the luncheon.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital or the Second Presbyterian Church Heritage Fund, 414 N. Prairie St., Bloomington, IL 61701.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and express condolences on his Tribute Page at www.wendtfuneralhome.com.