May 1, 2026. Eugene Anthony Bihn took his last breath surrounded by the people he loved most. His family held close. His body relaxed. The 77 year old Genoa resident left behind a record of service that stretched from Southeast Asia to a small Lutheran church in Williston, Ohio.
Eugene graduated from Lake High School in 1966. The country was at war. He joined the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. He came home with a sense of duty that never faded. He went back to school, earning an Associate Degree from Owens Community College. Education mattered to him. He believed in learning, even after the uniform came off.
He went to work for the phone company. The job was physical. Climbing poles. Stringing lines. Repairing connections in all kinds of weather. He did it without complaint. His coworkers noticed. They elected him as a Union Steward for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 986. He fought for fair treatment. He stood up when management pushed too hard. He was respected not because he was loud, but because he was right.
Outside of work, Eugene sang. He joined the choir at St. John Lutheran Church in Williston. Sunday after Sunday, he opened his mouth and let his voice join others in hymns. He was not a soloist. He was a team player. Fellow parishioners say he never missed a rehearsal unless he was sick. His faith was not a private whisper. It was a public song.
Genoa and the wider Ottawa County now mark the loss of a man who worked with his hands, fought for his brothers, and sang for his God. Eugene leaves behind his family, his union siblings, and a church congregation that will feel his absence in the tenor section. The phone lines he repaired still carry conversations. The contracts he helped negotiate still protect workers. The hymns he sang still echo in empty pews. That is a legacy. Not flashy. But solid. Just like Eugene.
