Hans P. Dietz, 89

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Hans Peter Dietz, 89, of Greenville, died on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, at his home.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date. Visitation will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 3, at Assalley-Young Funeral Home in Greenville. Interment will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 4, at Montrose Cemetery in Greenville, with Father Jeffrey Stone officiating.

Mr. Dietz, who has lived in Greenville since 1977, was born on March 4, 1933, in Mayen, Germany, to Peter J. and Margaretha (Schmalkoke) Dietz. He married Norma Foster, in Urbana, in 1963. He later married Jacqueline Kelsey on Dec. 17, 1977, at the St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Urbana.

At age 23 Mr. Dietz boarded a ship alone to leave his German home forever, although he returned frequently to be with family and friends, to do research, and to take his own three children and high school language students.

After landing in New York harbor, he continued to Minneapolis, MN, to live with his German family, his mother’s cousin, and to attend the University of Minnesota to study classics which he received a master’s degree and afterwards move on to the University of Illinois to complete a Ph.D. in classical language, Latin and ancient Greek.

Bringing with him his classical training from Germany, he created attention early in his academic career. He taught at Notre Dame and Gonzaga with a belief that his teachings would help to restore interest in the classics. He wrote and published in sophisticated European classics journals and served as president of the Northwest Classics Association.

In addition to European academics, his “trailer” included growing up during WWII. His home village, Mayen, was 95 percent destroyed, and he experienced nightly bombings in Dusseldorf where the family lived for his father’s work on the railroad.

His family background was in stone mining. He lost his father, who was drafted shortly before the end of WWII. He felt it was a needless loss. Migration helped him create a new family identity in the USA. His desire to become an American  came from listening to the Armed Forces Network radio and receiving friendship from kind American soldiers and leaders.

His gentle personality and generous compromising spirit transferred to popularity with college students who called him by his first name and learned from his personality rather than from his pedagogy. A college professor of classical languages and literature, he was a fluent speaker of French, learned in the occupation by France in the zone where he lived. This experience led to classes at Laval University in Canada and certification in the teaching of French.

He was humble and proud to get his citizenship which took six years. He has been a citizen for over 60 years.

He loved classical music and played tenor sax in a street dance band. He loved wildlife, especially marmots which were wild pets in Vermont and Greenville. He dedicated himself to his cats’ care and served them scrambled eggs on his hands and knees.

He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Kelsey of Greenville; children, Peter Wende of Altweidelbach, Germany, Hans Paul Dietz of Prosper, TX, Klaus Dietz of Chicago, and Joseph Dietz, Wenatchee, WA; grandchildren, Timo Wende of Hamburg, Germany, Niels Wende of Mainz, Germany, Jonas Wende of Altweidelbach, Germany, Bennet Wende of Altweidelbach, Germany, Michael Dietz of Austin, TX, Robert Dietz of Milwaukee, WI, Stephanie Dietz of Austin, TX, Kayla Dacosta of Wenatchee, WA, and Wesley Dietz of Wenatchee, WA; a great-grandchild, Michael Dietz of Austin, TX; and a brother-in-law, John (Ida) Kelsey.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Paul Dietz; mother and father-in-law, John and Kathryn Kelsey; and sister-in-law, Stephanie Rives.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Bond County Humane Society, 2510 S. Elm St., Greenville, IL, 62246, and St. Paul Free Methodist Church, 813 E. College Ave., Greenville, IL 62246. Visit www.assalleyfuneralhomes.com to share memories or offer condolences to the family.