John Donald Prior

PRIOR, HORNBY, CHAPMAN

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 6/4/2006 at 09:50:49

Earlham Library Obituary Collection
2002

John Donald Prior, 88, of Dexter died of complications of a respiratory ailment June 20, 2002, at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City.

Funeral services were held Monday, June 24, at the Stuart-Mt. Vernon Methodist Church with Pastor Robert Kersten officiating. Burial was at Earlham Cemetery.

John Prior was born Dec. 11, 1913, to John and Della (Hornby) Prior of rural Stuart. He graduated from Earlham High School in 1931 and immediately started farming in the Stuart area. On March 10, 1945, he married Darlene Chapman. They farmed near Elkhart for eight years, where he also was involved in the dairy business. In 1959, they purchased a farm in western Madison County, where he farmed until his retirement in 1976 and moved to Dexter. John also was involved in welding, trucking and driving a school bus (for 17 years) for the Orient-Macksburg School District.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife and two sisters.

He is survived by a son, Harold Prior (wife Joyce) of Algona; a grandson; and close friend, Lucy Carroll of Stuart.