Adron E "Gene" Cross

Adron E. “Gene” Cross, of Springfield, passed away on Friday, April 20, 2018 at his residence.

Gene was born in Hamilton County, IL the son of Adron R. and Ruthe E. Kniffen Cross.  He married Jane L. Ogburn in 1963 in Wyoming, IL; she preceded him in death.

After completing four years in the Navy, Gene graduated from Sangamon State University and then served with distinction as a member of Illinois State Police having graduated from the Academy in 1958.  In 1984 he was promoted to Master Sergeant and was appointed the Assistant Bureau Chief of the Division of Criminal Investigation’s Intelligence Bureau.  Four years later he was assigned to the US Justice Department to act as program coordinator and liaison between all 50 states and the International Police Organization’s (INTERPOL) national bureau.  In 1989, Gene was given the highest award by the US Department of Justice, US National Central Bureau (INTERPOL) in Washington, D.C. for his special contributions to the Agency.

Gene is survived by three sisters, Phyllis Kay Eastman, Martha E. McLaren and Mary R. Gutfreund; one nephew; several nieces, grandnephew and grandnieces; and his wife, Jane’s niece, Gail Snowden.

Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 27, 2018 at Wilson Park Funeral Home in Rochester with Reverend Dan Dexter officiating.  Burial will follow at Camp Butler National Cemetery where the Inter-Veterans Burial Detail will conduct honors.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Adron E "Gene" Cross, please visit our floral store.