Gary "Earlybird" Hackstadt, 60
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Mr. Gary O. Hackstadt, 60, of Okawville, IL departed this life in the Barnes/Jewish Hospital at St. Louis on Sunday, February 1, 2009 surrounded by his family after a courageous six-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Gary was born in Centralia, IL on June 9, 1948 the son of Ordel and Albena (nee Meyer) Hackstadt. He was baptized in the St. John United Church of Christ at Plum Hill, IL on June 27, 1948 and confirmed at St. John's on April 15, 1962.
Mr. Hackstadt was united in marriage to Judy Kuhn on October 22, 1966 at Plum Hill and she survives his passing.
Gary was a member of the St. Peter United Church of Christ at Okawville where he previously served on the church council. He was a truck driver with Moeller Brothers Trucking in Nashville, IL for over 40 years. Gary enjoyed the outdoors. He was especially fond of gardening, woodworking and deer hunting. He also coached little league baseball. Most of all he loved spending time with his grandchildren.
Left to mourn his passing is his wife, Judy of Okawville; four children, Janet Papenberg and husband Steve of Red Bud, IL, Chad Hackstadt and wife Paula of O'Fallon, IL, Kent Hackstadt and wife Amber of Belleville, IL, and Cortney Nelson and husband Brian of Okawville; 8 grandchildren, Ryker Papenberg, Tanner, Chase and Brant Hackstadt, Charli and Catch Hackstadt and Gracie and Rylan Nelson; a brother-in-law, Chip Kuhn and wife Cindy of Okawville; nieces; nephews; other relatives and a host of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother Wayne Hackstadt; a sister Lorna Jean Hackstadt in infancy, and his father and mother-in-law, Clifford Sr. and Betty Kuhn.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 11 A.M. in the St. Peter United Church of Christ at Okawville with Pastor Jeffrey Schwab officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the Campagna Funeral Home of on Thursday from 7:30 A.M. until 9 A.M. Thereafter, at the church on Thursday from 10 A.M. until the service hour.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to PanCan for pancreatic cancer research or to the Siteman Cancer Center and will be accepted by the Campagna Funeral Home of Okawville.
Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.campagnafuneralhomes.com