WHITE, John 1913-2000

WHITE

Posted By: Jeannine Peterson (email)
Date: 6/29/2016 at 20:43:06

John "Jack" White, 86, of Grafton, died Sunday, July 23, 2000, at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.

He was born September 8, 1913, in Union Township in Worth County near Grafton. He was the youngest in a family of seven children to John Peter and his wife Jessine (Rasmussen) White.

He attended schools in Union Township in Worth County and Newburg Township of Mitchell County. He took one year of religious instruction and was baptized and confirmed by the Rev. Carl Landdeck on March 24, 1929.

On September 8, 1935, he was united in marriage to Pearl Borchert. They had two children, Dennis and Dixie. His entire life was spent in Grafton and vicinity. He was always interested in community affairs.

He was head usher at Emmanuel Lutheran Church for 25 years, served as director on the Grafton School Board, was a councilman on the Grafton Town Council, a board member of the North Iowa Landfill, and was a volunteer fireman for 44 years with 10 of those years as fire chief.

He was chosen as Outstanding Senior Citizen of Worth County. In 1977, he retired from the St. Ansgar School District, where he was director of transportation. Retirement allowed him more time to travel. Two special interests were attending steam engine shows and draft horse shows. His hobbies of refurbishing antique tractors, cars and gas engines, in addition to woodworking, kept him busy. His family was important to him. He enjoyed spending time with them and loved to do things for them.

Funeral services were held Wednesday at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Grafton, with the Rev. Wayne Ellingson officiating. Interment was in the Grafton Cemetery.

He is survived by his wife, Pearl White, Grafton; one son, Dennis (Jenenne) White, Iowa Falls; daughter, Dixie Jellum, Osage; four grandchildren, David (Jessica) White, Mason City, Gary White, Buffalo, WY, Michelle (Jesse) Bawek, West DesMoines, and Jennifer Jellum and her fiance, Heath Walton, Hampton; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Clara Kuehn, Nora Bruesewitz, and Mabel Paulsen; two brothers, Verner White and Arthur H. White; and infant grandson, Steven White.

Mason City Globe Gazette