Herman Frederick Feldmann Jr. – Carbondale August 15, 2013

CARBONDALE — Herman Frederick Feldmann Jr., 78, passed away peacefully in his home Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, in Walker Funeral Home in Carbondale.

Herman was born July 17, 1935, in Chicago to Herman and Marie (Oparka) Feldmann.

He served in the U.S. Army.

Herman married Marilyn Yusup on Aug. 28, 1965, in Cleveland. Together, he and his loving wife shared 48 years. She survives of Carbondale.

Survivors also include his wife, Marilyn; daughter, Lisa Feldmann of Carterville; sons, Karl Feldmann of Du Quoin and Kurt (Kristen) Feldmann of Liberty Township, Ohio; and grandchildren, Kathryn Feldmann and Konrad Feldmann.

Young Herman enjoyed the freedom of exploring the forest preserves, the rich natural life that abounded, and the fun of a large extended family. His love of science led him to earning a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in chemical engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology and German language studies at Goethe Institute in Murnau, Germany. He valued learning from the advanced engineering precepts the German scientists had in the post-war era.

Many awards and patents soon followed Herman; safer water heaters (General Electric) and new concepts for appliances. He managed the first pilot plant to convert oil shale to synthetic natural gas (Institute Gas Tech). Herman developed technology for a commercial venture company (marketed by owner of the Dallas Cowboys, C. Murchison). He followed the research to Battelle Memorial, creating a unique gasifier, which won the U.S. DOE Award (technical achievement) regarding its importance to the biomass industry.

Herman worked for Clean Coal Institute in Carterville, and with Glen Poshard played a role in evaluating selling electricity instead of selling coal to utilities, and it advanced to where the requirements could be met, but ended when the coal company partner was sold and the new owner lost interest.

He formed a separate company involving consulting and design of a demo plant in Burlington, Vt., (with consent of SIU), a proprietary gasification called SILVA GAS. It may well be the only demo plant cost-shared by citizens’ tax dollars (DOE) that achieved all the operation and performance goals.

It was in Pittsburgh where he and his wife started a family, skied, hiked and followed the Steelers. But he soon learned to root for the OSU Buckeyes as his children grew up there. At ICCI of Carterville (a division of SIU) he indulged his nature photography hobby in the rural beauty of Southern Illinois. He’ll be missed riding his bicycle in all seasons around Crab Orchard Refuge. The final joys were with his wife and children, grandchildren at his home in rural Carbondale.

Herman contributed letters to both The Southern Illinoisan and Carbondale Communique. Some were about nature (i.e., the letter about the actual harmlessness of the Cottonmouth Watersnake), while others were about more general issues.

Published in The Southern Illinoisan from August 16 to August 18, 2013

– See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thesouthern/obituary.aspx?n=herman-feldmann&pid=166451515&fhid=8429#fbLoggedOutCARBONDALE — Herman Frederick Feldmann Jr., 78, passed away peacefully in his home Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, in Walker Funeral Home in Carbondale.

Herman was born July 17, 1935, in Chicago to Herman and Marie (Oparka) Feldmann.

He served in the U.S. Army.

Herman married Marilyn Yusup on Aug. 28, 1965, in Cleveland. Together, he and his loving wife shared 48 years. She survives of Carbondale.

Survivors also include his wife, Marilyn; daughter, Lisa Feldmann of Carterville; sons, Karl Feldmann of Du Quoin and Kurt (Kristen) Feldmann of Liberty Township, Ohio; and grandchildren, Kathryn Feldmann and Konrad Feldmann.

Young Herman enjoyed the freedom of exploring the forest preserves, the rich natural life that abounded, and the fun of a large extended family. His love of science led him to earning a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in chemical engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology and German language studies at Goethe Institute in Murnau, Germany. He valued learning from the advanced engineering precepts the German scientists had in the post-war era.

Many awards and patents soon followed Herman; safer water heaters (General Electric) and new concepts for appliances. He managed the first pilot plant to convert oil shale to synthetic natural gas (Institute Gas Tech). Herman developed technology for a commercial venture company (marketed by owner of the Dallas Cowboys, C. Murchison). He followed the research to Battelle Memorial, creating a unique gasifier, which won the U.S. DOE Award (technical achievement) regarding its importance to the biomass industry.

Herman worked for Clean Coal Institute in Carterville, and with Glen Poshard played a role in evaluating selling electricity instead of selling coal to utilities, and it advanced to where the requirements could be met, but ended when the coal company partner was sold and the new owner lost interest.

He formed a separate company involving consulting and design of a demo plant in Burlington, Vt., (with consent of SIU), a proprietary gasification called SILVA GAS. It may well be the only demo plant cost-shared by citizens’ tax dollars (DOE) that achieved all the operation and performance goals.

It was in Pittsburgh where he and his wife started a family, skied, hiked and followed the Steelers. But he soon learned to root for the OSU Buckeyes as his children grew up there. At ICCI of Carterville (a division of SIU) he indulged his nature photography hobby in the rural beauty of Southern Illinois. He’ll be missed riding his bicycle in all seasons around Crab Orchard Refuge. The final joys were with his wife and children, grandchildren at his home in rural Carbondale.

Herman contributed letters to both The Southern Illinoisan and Carbondale Communique. Some were about nature (i.e., the letter about the actual harmlessness of the Cottonmouth Watersnake), while others were about more general issues.