SHANNON, John Burton 1927-2008

SMITH, SHANNON

Posted By: K. Kittleson (email)
Date: 8/8/2008 at 14:09:07

AMES, IOWA — John Burton Shannon, formerly of Charles City, Iowa, and a resident of Riverside Manor in Ames, died on Tuesday, August 5, 2008, at Riverside Manor.

Visitation was from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 7, 2008 at the Adams Funeral Home in Ames, with a memorial service following at 7 p.m. Interment will be held at a later date at the Horton Cemetery in rural Bremer County, near Waverly, Iowa. John will be laid to rest next to his mother in a family setting.

John was born April 3, 1927, in Charles City Township, Floyd County, Iowa, to Raymond H. Shannon and Ruth A. (Smith) Shannon. John’s father was a carpenter and farmer and his mother a homemaker.

John spent his early years on farms in the Nashua and Charles City area. When he was five he was placed in the Woodward State Hospital in Woodward. While a resident of Woodward, John deeply enjoyed his family visits, or the rare visit back to his family home. At age 19, he moved to the Kansas City area where he worked washing dishes in numerous restaurants near the Kansas City stockyards.

In 1971, John moved to Ames, where he worked as a dishwasher and bus boy at various restaurants, including his favorite job washing dishes at Perkins. Many people came to know John as he walked from place to place in Ames, always sporting a full white beard, and his unique limp as a result of the polio he had as a child. In the late 1980’s, John worked part time at Becker Underwood doing odd jobs in the warehouse and cleaning.

In 1989, John suffered a series of debilitating strokes causing him to lose the use of his left arm. It was at this time that Roger and Connie Underwood of Ames became his legal guardians. John was moved to the Grand Avenue Care Center where he lived for several years. In 1998, he was relocated to the Story County Community Life living facility in north Ames, then later to Riverside Manor nursing home. John made legions of friends wherever he lived, and enjoyed his different jobs at the Story County Development Center.

John was happy with simple things such as breakfast at the Grove Cafe; a strong cup of black coffee; a good conversation with anyone [who] would talk to him and a long drive in the country just looking at things.

John was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Allene Roeder, and a brother Clarence Shannon. He is survived by two half sisters, Carol Annett of Creswell, Oregon, and LaVonne Hartson of Fredericksburg; a sister-in-law Ruth Shannon of Des Moines; a half brother Raymond Shannon of Cedar Rapids; and many nieces and nephews, including a special nephew, Arvin Foell and his family, of Kelley.

Adams Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 502 Douglas Ave., Ames, (515) 232-5121, www.soderstrumadams.com is in charge of the arrangements.

[Original obituary posted on Charles City Press online, Aug. 7, 2008]