PEORIA, Ill. — A friend of central Illinois agriculture, Burton Hasselberg, passed away April 25 at his Peoria home, with his family by his side. The former president of the Illinois Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers – and farm manager with Greene Farm Management for 43 years before retiring as company president – was 94.

Hasselberg, a World War II veteran who took advantage of the G.I. bill to graduate from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture in 1949, was the namesake of a soon-to-open agricultural history museum focused on the rich legacy of central Illinois farming. The Burt Hasselberg Ag Museum was dedicated with a ceremony honoring Hasselberg and his family on July 10, 2014, at Three Sisters Park, a former farm property located in Chillicothe.

Scheduled to open this April 30, the museum’s debut was recently pushed back. But on the day of Hasselberg’s death, a three-day open house for the uncompleted museum was under way in conjunction with the park’s annual old-time planting days, which attracts hundreds of area schoolchildren on field trips every year.

It seemed a fitting tribute to Hasselberg, who was active in youth organizations such as local Boy Scout Troop 33, and fraternal organizations whose charity efforts benefited local youth programs.

“It’s been Burt’s dream since the start of Three Sisters Park and the dream of the SLG Cohen Foundation to have an ag museum here. Thanks to Burt’s generosity, we have the museum today,” said Chris Cassidy, supervisor of the SLG Cohen Foundation, which has managed Three Sisters Park since its 1991 inception.

Cassidy made his comment during the museum’s dedication last July. The dedication represented a great day in the park’s history, said David Miller, Foundation president, during his remarks at the museum’s christening, which was attended by Hasselberg, members of his family and close friends.

“Our mission is dedicated to the history of farming. There was no one who has been as supportive or integral to our mission than our good friend Burt Hasselberg,” Miller said. “I want everyone to know that it is persons like Burt that have made all of this possible by the dedication of their time, their interest and energy.

“Twenty years from now we can visualize Burt’s building as bustling with people who are interested in looking back at the equipment that will be well over 100 years old.”

Former Peoria Journal Star writer Gary Childs once referred to Hasselberg in an article as “a man with many hats.” In addition to serving in roles with local youth organizations, Hasselberg conducted a Memorial Day program for the Kiwanis Club every year at Glen Oak Park in Peoria.

He served the Scottish Rite for more than 70 years and was a mainstay in recruiting new members. He was also a member of the Mohammed Shrine, and an active member of the First United Church for 66 years.

Surviving Hasselberg are two sons, one daughter, eight grandchildren and three stepchildren. In his Journal Star obituary, his children recalled Hasselberg as a man who was blessed with the joy of life and full of unwavering optimism, and enjoyed family camping outings and trips to the family farm near Manito.

Though the Burt Hasselberg Ag Museum is not yet complete, some interior walls have been constructed and exhibits have begun to take shape. When completed, the museum will house two steam engines, threshing machines, farm implements, tools and utensils.