Gene T. McCartan, age 94, of Pocahontas, passed away on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, peacefully in his sleep.

Eugene Thomas McCartan was born on May 22, 1931, on the family farm near Pocahontas, Iowa. He was the son of Arthur and Berniece (Scanlan) McCartan. Gene graduated from Havelock High school in 1949 and then worked on the farm for several years. He then entered the U.S. Army where he served from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean War where he found his love of driving trucks.  Following his service, Gene returned to Pocahontas where he worked as a lineman for the Pocahontas REC. At the REC is where Gene met Marilyn who was working as the bookkeeper. On August 4, 1956, Gene was united in marriage to Marilyn Diederich in Pocahontas. The couple settled in Pocahontas. Gene worked as an agent for Standard Oil. He eventually purchased the Standard Oil Business. He and Marilyn owned and operated McCartan Oil with Marilyn working as the bookkeeper and Gene sold fuel, oil and tires. In 1993 they retired. Gene continued selling tires and doing golf cart repairs in between days of hunting, fishing or playing golf.

Gene was a member of the Resurrection Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion and the Pocahontas Golf Club. He served on the Pocahontas Fire Department and was active with the trap shooting league for many years. Gene enjoyed hunting, golfing and playing cards. He was an avid fisherman and loved to tell stories.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn of Pocahontas; son, Mike McCartan of Plano, TX; grandchildren, Cory (Lori) Braunschweig, Kyle (Andrea) McCartan and Kaci (Mitch) Pagel; 6 great-grandchildren; siblings, Rita Nelson of Sioux City, Mary (Sam) Virgillito of Omaha, NE, Tom (Sue) McCartan of Cedar Rapids and Jim (Mary) McCartan of Havelock.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Joan Wieker and Ann Sernett and a brother, Don McCartan.