Captain Roscoe A. "Ike" Hastings, 92, passed away peacefully with family at 5:43 PM on April 14, 2017. He was born in the upstairs living area of his father's general store in Martintown, WI, on September 6, 1924, delivered by his grandmother Lena Hastings. His parents were Hulda and Happy (Leland) Hastings.

Ike graduated from Winslow High School in 1942 and enlisted with his brother Gerald Hastings in the army, with the 132 ^nd combat engineers. With much convincing and against regulations the brothers stayed together the entire time until the end of their military service on December 31, 1945. The brothers saw extensive acting doing field communications and demolition in Manus, Lyte, IE Shima, the Philippines, and eventually they were the 1 ^st troops on the mainland of Japan after its surrender.

After WWII, Ike attended University of Wisconsin where he majored in Art Education. He began his 30 year teaching career in the Le-Win district by driving to numerous one room country schools as well as the town schools in Eleroy, Lena, McConnell, Waddams, and Winslow to teach all levels of art. It was a great career because it combined his love of kids with his natural art teaching skills.

Ike was probably best known for his infatuation with the Mississippi River and boats. He spent his summers and free time commercial fishing and building boats. Besides the 47 different boats he built, he also built an amphibious biplane and obtained an aeronautical pilots license along with his Riverboat pilot license.

His two most well-known boats were the sternwheeler Lilly Belle, a 60 foot boat started in 1958, and an all-aluminum hull 100 ft boat started in 2003 called the Pickett Hastings. The Lilly Belle was used for both personal family vacations and chartered excursions. It also hosted the National Audubon educational trips up and down the river for several years.

The Pickett Hastings was much faster and larger and like its predecessor made many trips up and down both the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Ike was especially fond of the River Regattas, River Festivals, and stern wheel races, which he often won. It was estimated that he logged over 80,000 miles on the Mississippi and Ohio River. The Pickett Hastings entertained a filming crew from the History channel in 2014 and Ike was excited to see his excursions documented in the episodes of "Mississippi Men," which aired in early 2015. He always said that his greatest accomplishment was his "boys", Jim and Jeff.

Ike and his brother, Jerry, were so unbelievably humbled to take an "Honor Flight" 6 years ago to Washington , DC to tour the World War II memorial, and other memorials. They were "treated like kings" was the thought for the day.

Ike was known to be very adventurous and confident and could be counted on to fix just about anything. He enjoyed dancing, skiing, duck hunting, drinking, poker, and his dogs, his parrot Harry, and most of all, people. He also loved making gifts for his family including various wood carvings, paintings, and other unique pieces of art.

He was a charter member of the American Sternwheeler Association, Winslow Legion, and on the Board of Directors of National Rivers Hall of Fame at the National River Museum in Dubuque, IA, and a Mason.

His parents, and an infant daughter, Barbara Ann preceded him in death.

He is survived by his wife Linda Hastings and step-daughter Jennifer Guinther Cox (Jason) and step grandson Mason Norberg of Belvidere, brother Gerald of Winslow, son Jim (wife Jan) Hastings of Lena, son Jeff (wife Moira) Hastings of Westby, and five grandchildren Timothy, Kaitlyn, Hannah, Jaclyn, Myles and one great-grandchild Mazi, with one on the way. His niece and nephew, Carol and Todd and family, Marvel Cowen; his sister-in-law, Marlene King and family , and his brother-in-law Lanis (Lynn) Lenker and family and other cherished relatives. His labradoodles, Bea and Belle will miss giving him sloppy kisses.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, April 21, 2017 at Leamon Funeral Home in Lena, IL.

A visitation will be from 3-8:00 PM on Thursday, April 20, 2017 at the Leamon Funeral Home in Lena, IL.

Pastor Kevin Cernik will officiate the services.

Burial will be at Rock Lily Cemetery in Winslow, IL.

A memorial has been established in his memory.