John Adams, Jr.

John Adams Jr., 83, of Corwith, passed away Friday, October 24, 2008 at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services for John Adams Jr. will be held Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church with Pastor Dave Olson officiating.  Burial will be in Corwith Cemetery in Corwith.

Visitation will be held Monday, October 27, 2008 from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at Ewing Funeral Chapel in Britt and continue one hour prior to services at the church.

John Adams Jr. was born March 13, 1925 at home in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the first child of John Adams Sr. and Fern (Bettis) Adams.

When still a baby, they moved to Colfax and Newton, Iowa. From there to southern Iowa near Rexfield, a coal mining town, where his dad farmed and worked in the coal mine there. While still young they moved to a ranch not far from there.

John started county school at age 5 on the corner of this ranch which was 1½ -2 miles from the house. He said his dad took him the 1st day and then walked it after that. He lived on the ranch until he graduated from the 8th grade.

In 1938 they moved to a farm south of Britt. He helped his dad farm. John had many odd jobs around Britt. (Worked in gas station, drove truck for Sankey’s Sand and Gravel. Had his own truck for a while and so on.)

He was a member of the Baptist Church in Britt. John finished his education at Britt.

In 1949 John went into the Army. He was in the Army Reserves for 5 years after is discharge.

John worked for Risvold Motors as a mechanic in Corwith. He met his wife Gloria Hankins while working there. They were married June 14, 1953 in the newly constructed St. John Lutheran Church. They had the first wedding in that church.

Four children were born of this marriage. Gary Dean, Nancy Jean, Rick Lee and Shelly Lynn.

John ran the Skelly station in Britt. In 1956 moved to Indianapolis, Indiana when he worked for Jones & Laughlin Steel Co. In 1958 moved back to Iowa. John worked for the City of Corwith for 9 years, with Charlie Claude. He then went to work for Corwith Community Co-Op until retirement in 1988.

Before and after retirement John and Gloria enjoyed camping.

His hobbies were woodworking, gardening, hunting & fishing, reading westerns & watching John Wayne movies and listening to old time country music. John and Gloria also enjoyed going to the Britt Hobo Days Convention every year and the Avoca Music Festival. He and Gloria built their own home. John is remembered by many; he always had a joke to tell and was a big tease, especially to his grandchildren.

John is survived by his wife Gloria (Hankins) Adams. They were married 55 years. His children: Gary Dean Adams and wife Connie of Algona, Nancy Jean Berhow and husband Tim of Corwith, Rick Lee Adams and wife Margo of Algona and Shelly Lynn Drake and husband Randy of Fort Dodge.

John and Gloria had the privilege of raising a lovely caring granddaughter Anastasia (Stasi) Mashek Miller who is married to John Miller and lives in Forest City, Iowa.

His sister Catherin Meyers and husband Marvin E., sister Betty Nall and husband Richard, ten grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews and many friends. He never met anyone he didn’t call friend.

He was preceded in death by his father John Adams Sr., his mother Fern (Bettis) Adams, a sister Dorothy Gifford and her husband Richard Gifford of Carrollton, Texas, an infant niece Joy Linn Nall, niece Jody Nall and his paternal and maternal grandparents.