Eugene C. Field, 78 of Wittenberg, died unexpectedly on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at his home.
Eugene was born on June 25, 1947, in Pontiac, IL, the son of Eugene and Hope (O’Higgins) Field.
On July 1, 1965, Eugene was united in marriage to Sheryl Close. They later divorced.
Eugene was drafted for Vietnam and was fortunate enough to only serve in Germany. He was in the Army Corp of Engineers under the U.S. Army Engineer Command Europe in Frankfurt, Germany, with a rank of specialist E-4. After returning home in the summer of 1972, he was employed with Material Service Corporation in Joliet, Illinois, where he was a machinist for a number of years, working on very large rebuilds, such as the Joliet Downtown Drawbridges.
He left the Joliet area in the mid to late 80's, partnering with an Army buddy, Gary Thompson, to grow ginseng in the Wittenberg area. He retired later from farming, but continued living on the last farm he used for ginseng.
Eugene was a very practical and pragmatic man who possessed remarkable intelligence despite having little formal education. He lived his life entirely on his own terms, which was only appropriate that his favorite song was ‘I Did It My Way.’ Eugene took pride in being very connected to the Earth. He could walk through a cedar forest in the middle of a moonless night and know exactly where he was. Eugene could start fires with nothing, sneak up on deer and really connected with hunting and farming. He loved chess and was able to teach his son, Charlie, the game. Later in life, he became very interested in Harley Motorcycling and liked interacting with events associated with that. Eugene also loved traveling to Mexico and made more than 25 trips there over the years.
Eugene is survived by his son, Charlie Field; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; half brothers and sisters; partner and friend, Marianne Schiefer of Stevens Point and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.
No services will be held.
Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home, Wittenberg is assisting the family with arrangements. Memories and messages of support may be shared at schmidtschulta.com.
