PICHT, John Carl 1925-2017

PICHT, HILBURN, PAULSON

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 7/7/2017 at 16:04:14

John Picht

Died July 6, 2017

U.S. Veteran

John Carl Picht, age 91, of Plymouth, Iowa, died Thursday, July 6, 2017, at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 13, 2017, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Manly with Pastor Linda Johnson Prestholt officiating. Burial will be at Rock Creek Cemetery, rural Osage. Visitation will be from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Thursday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Manly.

John Carl Picht was born December 22, 1925, on a farm in Story County, Iowa, the son of John French and Beulah Maude (Hilburn) Picht. He graduated valedictorian from Fernald Consolidated School in 1943. John worked with his father on the farm until he was drafted into the Army in March of 1946. He took basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington and was then assigned to the 185th Combat Engineer Unit at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

John came home on furlough to marry LaBonna “Bonnie” Blythe Paulson on November 9, 1946, at Rock Creek Lutheran Church in Meroa. Bonnie accompanied him back to Fort Monroe and soon after the Army unit moved them to Camp Campbell, Kentucky in December of that year. John attained the rank of Corporal T5 before he was honorably discharged in March 1947.

He and Bonnie returned to Mason City where John worked for the International Branch House until April of 1948. They then moved to Nevada, Iowa to join his father in farming. In May of 1951, their son Mark was born. In the fall of 1953, they moved to Worth County on the farm of Bonnie’s parents, Gustav and Margaret Paulson.

In October of 1954, their daughter Ann was born. Their family grew with the arrival of another daughter Echo in September of 1956, and then another son Shawn in February of 1960. John had fond memories of Bonnie, their children and grandchildren with him on the farm taking care of milk cows, cattle, hogs, chickens, sheep and especially the registered horses they trained.

Mark started farming with them in 1971 and was joined by Shawn in 1983. John retired in 1990 but continued to work around the farm until 1992. Retirement saw John and Bonnie enjoying trips in their travel trailer to many campgrounds as far away as the Florida Keys, South Texas, and California.

John and Bonnie celebrated 66 years of marriage before Bonnie passed away in February of 2013. John sang in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Choir for many years and served as president and also as secretary of the church council. He also participated in the church Dart Ball League and even had a dart board at home to practice. John’s love for music continued while residing at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood, Iowa, taking in many performances and even singing a solo of “Oh Johnny” for the residents. He enjoyed calling each of his children to sing “Happy Birthday” to them over the phone. He also participated in table top bowling every week. John enjoyed his time at the Lutheran Retirement Home and mentioned many times how good the staff treated him as well as the great care they provided.

John is survived by his children: Mark (Barb) Picht of Plymouth, Ann (Dar) Rohlfsen of Ankeny, Echo (Ben) Guenther of Marion, and Shawn (Jeanne) Picht of Charles City; 13 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Bonnie; grandson, Nathan Picht; great-grandson, Gunner Harris; and sister, Pearl Picht.

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage (641) 732-3706.

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home website