David Ehlers

David C. Ehlers, 83, of Coal Valley, Illinois, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family on December 8, 2022.

David was born to Clarence and Lorraine Ehlers on March 25, 1939, in Buffalo, New York. When he was 15 years old, his family moved to Moline, Illinois.

He graduated from Moline High School in 1957. He enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington. David was an E-4 Senior Airman and was awarded a Good Conduct Medal. He served four years in the Air Force and, after an honorable discharge, was in the Air Force Reserves for two years.

David worked for the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office and Coal Valley Police Department. He was an Assistant Fire Chief in Coal Valley and worked for CFR at the Quad City International Airport. He worked for United Airlines for 17 years as a Customer Service Representative before retiring in 1995 and then worked at Moline Welding until he retired for good in 2002. David was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He was a member of the Masons for over 50 years.

David was a loving husband and father. Family and friends describe him as being “one of a kind.” He loved spending time with his family, whether it was going on family vacations, fishing, boating, or playing games (and cheating at them, even though he would always deny it). David had a great sense of humor and could always make you laugh. From a very young age, his biggest love was riding and taking care of horses. He always said the only time he got into trouble was because he was with his horses.

David is survived by his beautiful wife of 44 years, Marna; his children Blair (Kristy) Ehlers of Davenport, Iowa, Dee Shea of Aledo, Illinois, Debbie (Dave) Tann of Amherst, Ohio, Diana (Jason) Murley of Andalusia, Illinois, Tami (Nhoy) Pacumio of Lake Jackson, Texas, and Timothy Ehlers of Ava, Missouri, and his sister, Ruth Celletti of Moline, Illinois; 17 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and son-in-law, Mark Shea.

A private funeral service with military honors will be held on Friday, December 16, 2022. David will be laid to rest at the National Cemetery on Rock Island Arsenal. A celebration of life will be held at the family home from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to his wife, Marna, and she will distribute them to Multiple Sclerosis funding and K9s for Warriors.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and express online condolences on his Memory Wall at mvcremation.com.