John Henry Balbach Dec. 21, 1926 - Sept. 21, 2015 WARREN - John Henry Balbach, 88, of Warren, IL, died peacefully on Monday, September 21, 2015, surrounded by his family, at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, IL, following a stroke. He was born on December 21, 1926, in Madison, WI, the middle son of and Olin Burr and Rosella (Haugen) Balbach. His parents moved to Madison from Warren during the Great Depression and returned to the family farm in Warren when John was a young child. John was a graduate of Warren High School; he later began farming in Warren and attended auctioneering school. John met his future wife at a Warren Firemen's dance. He married Jane Hicks on September 13, 1950, at the First United Methodist Church in Freeport, IL. John and Jane settled on her family homestead. In addition to farming, John was well-known in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin as a real estate broker and auctioneer. His office was located at 113 E. Main Street in Warren for over 60 years, until his retirement in 2010. He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Warren and believed in serving his community. John was involved in numerous service organizations: Warren Masons, Freeport Consistory, Rockford Tebala Shriners, Warren Order of the Eastern Star, Warren Lion's Club, and the Warren Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Jo Daviess County Housing Authority and was Board Chairman for over 15 years. He will be remembered as a person who was always involved in his work and community, loved to close a deal, and had endless devotion to his family and friends. John is survived by his loving wife, Jane (Hicks) Balbach; three daughters, Sandy (Tom) Shea of Janesville, WI, Marsha (Roy) Stark of Alameda, CA, and Jean (Chris) Beeler of Freeport, IL; three grandchildren, Jenny Stark and Vince Smith (fiancé) of Alameda, CA, Heather (Dan) Berlinski of Oconomowoc, WI, and Jeremy Shea of Janesville, WI; two great granddaughters, Emily Jane and Kailey Shea Berlinski of Oconomowoc, WI; two brothers, Carson Balbach of Gratiot, WI and Ted (Wilma) Balbach of Warren, IL; as well as his cousins, nieces, and nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister-in-law, Doris Balbach. The family would like to extend a very special thank you to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center and their caring staff and to Dr. Martin Cleary. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, at Bartell-Leamon Funeral Home, 519 Tisdell Avenue, Warren, IL. Memorial visitation will take place from 3 until 5 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at the Bartell-Leamon Funeral Home in Warren, IL. Graveside services will be held privately at a later date at the Elmwood Cemetery in Warren, IL. A luncheon will follow the funeral service at the Warren Community House. A memorial will be established in his name. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.leamon.com.