Hans Peter Dietz

Hans Peter Dietz, 89, of Greenville, IL passed away Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at his home.

He was born on March 4, 1933, in Mayen, Germany to Peter J. and Margaretha (Schmalkoke) Dietz.

He married Norma Foster, in Urbana, IL, in 1963. He later married Jacqueline Kelsey on December 17, 1977, at the St. Matthews Lutheran Church in Urbana, IL.

Hans Peter Dietz 1933-2022 — “Immigration at its Best!”

At age twenty-three Hans boarded a ship alone to leave his German home forever, although he returned frequently to be with family and friends, to do research, to take his own

three children and high school language students. After landing in New York harbor, he continued to Minneapolis, Minnesota 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

at Urbana to complete a PhD in classical language – Latin and ancient Greek. Bringing with him his classical training from Trier Germany, from private and public

schools, he created attention early in his academic career. He taught at Notre Dame and Gonzaga Universities 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% destroyed and he experienced nightly bombings in Dusseldorf where the family lived for his father’s work on the railroad.

Hans’s family background came from a stone mining family. He lost his father, who was drafted shortly before the end of WWII. He felt it was a needless loss. Hans told the story of

him losing his father over and over to help cope with this deprivation. Migration helped him create a new family identity in the USA. His desire to become an American, came in fact from

listening to the AFN 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, fluent speaker of French learned in the occupation by France in the zone where he lived. This experience led to the classes at

Laval University in Canada and certification in the teaching of French. Learning English on the ship’s voyage he entered university M.A. studies.

He was humble and proud to get his citizenship which took six years. He has been a citizen for over 60 years. Migration from the Eiffel region to rural Illinois and Greenville his

home since 1977 made him proud to have created a new Dietz family and a new way of life including education. While fathering his own family in Spokane Washington, he shared his

passions toward the classics with his three sons which enriched their ambition toward continual learning. Lover of nature he brought from Germany and childhood woodland experience picking

wild berries and nature walking. Many of his trips to monasteries and churches were long foot walks.

His love of classical music generated lifelong bonds with his family and friends. His father played accordion, which also supplemented family income during the war, and Hans

played tenor sax in a street dance band. His mother sang to the radio and loved folk music and she encouraged his classical music interests. His best friend was an organist at the cathedral in

Trier and gifted Hans with all his music in his repertoire. Hans’s greatest desire was to have his friends and family view his body while listening to Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.

Hans loved wildlife, especially marmots which were wild pets in Vermont and Greenville. He wanted on his tombstone that he loved his cats. He dedicated himself to the cat’s

care and served them scrambled eggs on his hands and knees. More than any other influence on accessing God came to Hans by living with Greenville

people and their kindnesses. He learned to trust and look for their smallest expressions towards him. He was spiritually influenced by the Benedictine creed and taught classics at Gonzaga a

Jesuit University. He was at home with his priest friends where he learned to bake bread and to be part of their family life.

For his 80th birthday his brother Paul’s sons came to the US while he was teaching at the Military University. For Hans’s 90th birthday they will come to Greenville on St. John’s Day in

honor of his birthday saint – St. John the Baptist, who is the patron Saint of love, loyalty, friendship, and authors.

Everyone loves Hans including his wife Jacquline (Dietz) Kelsey a native of Greenville, her brother John A. Kelsey, and his late family of John W. Kelsey and Katheryn Nee-Andrews

(his in-law’s family). This also includes his four adult children – Peter, Hans Paul, Klaus, and Joseph.

Hans came full circle migrating from wartime Germany to teaching German for three years at age 80 at an American Military University in Northfield Vermont. Living to the age of

90 was his accomplished dream. Absentee voting in November carried out his values of American life. Hans joined his heavenly father at home in the arms of his beloved Jacque.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Peter J. and Margaretha E. (Schmalkoke) Dietz, brother, Paul Dietz, mother and father-in-law, John & Kathryn Kelsey and sister-in-law, Stephanie Rives.

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

Visitation: 5:30-7:00 pm., Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at Assalley-Young Funeral Home, 118 E. College Ave., Greenville, IL 62246.

Interment: 11:00 am., Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at Montrose Cemetery, Greenville, IL with Father Jeffrey Stone, officiating.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date.

The family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers, plants, and other gifts.

Please make memorial contributions to the Bond County Humane Society, 2510 S. Elm St., Greenville, IL, 62246 and/or St. Paul Free Methodist Church, 813 E. College Ave., Greenville, IL 62246.

The family has entrusted Assalley-Young Funeral Home in Greenville with the ceremonies.

Please visit www.assalleyfuneralhomes.com to share memories or offer condolences to the family.