Paul B. “Pete” Varel

Friday, October 30, 2020  4:00-7:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 31, 2020  8:30-9:30 p.m.

(Masks are required at both the visitation and funeral mass)

Moss Funeral Home, Germantown

Saturday, October 31, 2020

10:00 a.m.

St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Bartelso

Paul B. “Pete” Varel, age 83, of Bartelso, passed away Friday, October 23, 2020 at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese.

 

He was born December 29, 1936 in Bartelso, the son of the late Margaret, nee Hemker, and William Varel, Sr.

 

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers, Jerome Varel and Jim Varel; sister, Bernadette Kluemke; father-in-law and mother-in-law, August and Adella, nee Bergmann, Sundrup; brother-in-law, Frank Goebel; and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law in infancy.

 

Surviving are his wife Joan, nee Sundrup, Varel of Bartelso, whom he married June 7, 1966 at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Bartelso; sons, Tim (very special friend Jenny McQuade) Varel of Bartelso, Brad (Rebecca) Varel of Breese, and Todd (Elizabeth) Varel of Chesterfield, VA; grandchildren, Sadie (friend Mitchell Wise), Chase, and Noah Paul Varel, Tyler, John, Sophie, and Charlie Varel; siblings, Sally (Bernie) Gerdes of Bartelso, Margie (Jim) Wilken of Bartelso, Blanche Goebel of Breese, Flossie (Frank) Schlautmann of Bartelso, and Bill (JoAnn) Varel of Bartelso; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Dolores “Toots” Varel of Bartelso, Betty Varel of Bartelso, Gerhard Kluemke of Bartelso, and Sandy (Doug) Gross of O’Fallon; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

 

Pete was a veteran of the United States Army National Guard, retired from Illinois Central Gulf Rail Road, worked part time as a custodian at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Breese, and drove a school bus for 50 ½ years, retiring in 2015.  He was a member of St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Bartelso Knights of Columbus Council 4745, Clinton County Advocates for Recreation where he drove developmentally disabled adults to appointments, Illinois School Bus Transportation Association, and was a former CYO Moderator for over 23 years.  He enjoyed playing cards with his grandchildren, reading, traveling, providing any type of community service he could, and especially feeding ice cream to his granddaughter Sadie when she was younger.

 

Memorial Mass will be Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Bartelso with Fr. James Buerster presiding.  Interment will follow in St. Cecilia Cemetery, Bartelso.

 

Visitation will be Friday, October 30, 2020 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, October 31, 2020 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Moss Funeral Home in Germantown.

 

(Masks are required at both the visitation and funeral mass)

 

In lieu of flowers, plants, and other gifts, memorials may be made to the Mater Dei Marching Knights or the wishes of the family and will be received at the funeral home.