January 31, 1947 – July 6, 2025
John passed away at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines on Sunday, July 6, 2025 from complications from a car accident.
John is survived by his sister, Jacque (Steve); his brother, Jim (Carol); his brother, Joe (Donna); his daughter, Tasha (Gabe) Lanz; nephews, Chad Thompson and Bones Jones; nieces, Casey, Lynn, Jenna; grandchildren, Dane, Mable, Royce, and Griffin; other numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews; and a large amount of family, friends, and fellow veterans.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Mildred Steinick; his father, Jack Jones; Papa Frank; and niece, Christine Bruns.
John knew everybody and everybody knew John. There wasn’t a grocery store trip or card game that wasn’t filled with conversations.
John’s grandchildren brought so much joy to his life. He would light up when he talked about them, and his refrigerator was filled with their pictures and schedules. He truly loved watching them grow.
John was a proud veteran. He served just over eleven months in Vietnam during his three-year dedication to the Army. He played an active part in the veteran community up until his accident.
John found a great love for Alaska while he was working there. He was an iron worker and quickly made strong connections in Alaska, teaching his co-workers how to play poker at night and building parts for the Army during the day. John was on an island in Alaska for one year, and could not leave the island. They built structures for the Army, then took them apart, and shipped them off.
When John came back from Alaska, he moved in with his mom, Mildred, because she didn’t want to live alone. After her diagnosis of dementia, John promised her that she would never “go in a home” and kept his word. He took care of Mildred until her passing in 2022.
John loved to fish and he loved to play cards. He always had a smile on his face and a Diet Pepsi in his hand. He truly enjoyed connections with people.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel, 1006 6th Street, Boone. Military honors will be held at 3:00 P.M. Sunday in front of the funeral home, by the Boone Veterans Council.
schroedermemorialchapel.com