Werner O. Buser-Boyd

Werner O. Buser-Boyd of rural Galesburg departed this Earth at 11:51 a.m., Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at Marigold Health Care and Rehab, Galesburg, IL, under hospice care. Werner was born on January 28, 1931, in Birsfelden, Switzerland to Walter and Adeline (Stofer) Buser. Werner and his wife, Sharon, have made Galesburg their home since 1982. They met in Garrigues, France, and were married in Basel, Switzerland on March 8, 1977.

Werner proudly became a naturalized United States Citizen in 1990, acing the constitution test and written English exam, which required him to write the phrase, “the old man has a new hat.”

Werner lived an interesting and well-traveled life, first as a young man aboard the ships of the Swiss Merchant Marine, plying trade between Europe, South America, and the United States of America, later working on the Gold Coast of Africa in the timber industry. Then he was lured to life in the western US working for Weyerhauser. The travel bug eventually took him to New York City, where he had a carpenter shop in Greenwich Village. Ironically he passed through Galesburg on the California Zephyr, not realizing he would eventually reside here. Ultimately Africa called again and he worked in Johannesburg, South Africa as a graphic artist. Then back to Switzerland, first as a carpenter then as a painter in Stadttheater, Basel, executing enormous backdrops for operas, ballets and other theatre productions. In Galesburg, he became enamored of the rural landscape and many cornfields featured prominently in his paintings. His art can also be seen in murals, one at the Prairieland Animal Welfare Center and one in Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg. He has exhibited art here and in Switzerland. As a member of the Galesburg Civic Art Center, he was a frequent contributor to fund raising auctions and a great number of his hand-carved Santa figures are collected.

Always he had a love of reading, mainly history, especially WWII. His weekly visits to the Galesburg Public Library were cherished.

Werner was preceded in death by his parents, a brother and sister. He is survived by his wife Sharon, of Galesburg, mother-in-law Carol Boyd, of Geneseo, in-laws Roger Boyd and Kim Reynolds of Geneseo, Becky and Mike Wachtel, of Lacona Iowa, Richard and Elaine Boyd of Monmouth, Janet and Jim Larson of Geneseo, Colleen and Matt Yaeger of Bolingbrook IL, and niece Kaethy Habluetzel and nephews Roland and Andreas Luedi of Switzerland, as well as dear friends Susann and Rolf Mueller of Basel, Switzerland.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, April 11, 2015 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Thomas Legacy Center at Watson-Thomas Funeral Home, Galesburg, Il. Memorials may be made to Galesburg Public Library or Guardian Angels Humane Society. Cremation rites have been entrusted with Watson-Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory. Online condolences can be sent to watsonthomas.com.