Charles Rex Janssen, 91, died on July 23, 2026.

He was born October 28, 1934 to Bridget and Ferdinand Janssen on the family farm near Crofton, Nebraska. The second of seven children, he grew up on the farm and graduated from Crofton High School in 1952.

He served in the US. Navy on the Destroyer U.S.S. Herbert J. Thomas 833 and the Destroyer U.S.S. Porterfield 682 deployed for extended Western Pacific. Operations including American Samoa, Australia, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Midway and Pearl Harbor from 1955 to 1959. After Honorable Discharge, he attended and then graduated from Wayne State College in Nebraska with an Accounting degree.

In 1965 he married Mary Claire Sprague and after living briefly in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Denver, Colorado, they moved to Illinois where he worked as an Accountant.

They raised their five children and had a home in Streamwood, Illinois for 35 years before moving to Genoa, Illinois. Throughout most of his adult life he was an active member of the Knights of Columbus in multiple parishes including St. Ansgar, Hanover Park, Illinois and St. Catherine of Genoa, Genoa, Illinois.

After retirement, he volunteered many years for Habitat for Humanity, building 19 homes in the Boone and Dekalb counties of Illinois.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 50 years, Mary Claire, two sons Gerald and Michael, sister Barbara Janssen, sister and brother-in-law Mildred and Darrell Vonnahme, and brother and sister-in-law Fredrick and JoAnn Janssen.

He is survived by his children Joan (Jerry) Sliwa, Kate (Steve) Fiacchino, Brian (Lisa Madsen) Janssen, step granddaughter Marie (TJ) Knudtson, sisters Paula (Jim) Ball and Virginia Janssen, brother Bill Janssen andmany nieces and nephews.

His visitation will be on Wednesday, July 29th at 10:00 AM at the St. Catherine of Genoa Church, 340 S. Stott St., Genoa, IL.  A rosary will be recited at 10:30, with the funeral mass beginning at 11:00 AM.

Burial will follow at the St. Catherine Cemetery, Genoa, IL. with military honors.

For information, please call Slater-Butala Funeral Home of Genoa- 815-784-5191.

To sign the online guest book, go to www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com