John Halbert THRELKELD

THRELKELD, CRIGER, STRITESKY, THOMPSON, CARLO, TODD

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/17/2009 at 11:25:38

Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa
5/02/1996

BRITT, IA ---John Halbert Threlkeld, 81, passed away Tuesday (April 30, 1996) at Hancock County Memorial Hospital. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, with the Rev. Marvin Bries officiating. Ewing Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

John, the son of Robert and Agnes Criger Threlkeld, was born on Feb. 8, 1915, at Chariton. He graduated from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, and attended Coe College where he was a member of Delta Phi Epsilon fraternity. He was united in marriage to Dorothy M. Stritesky at Cedar Rapids in 1939. John was employed with the Wilson Packing Company in Cedar Rapids, Knaus Trucking in Cedar Rapids, Dragoun Transfer & Storage in Ames, Knaus Trucking in Davenport, Eagle Grove, and Kansas City, and later with U.S. Chemical in Kansas City and Britt. In 1949, the family moved to Britt. In 1959, they established the Britt Tech Corporation in Britt and 24 foreign countries. In 1961, he was granted a U.S. patent for high pressure washers, and in 1971 began manufacturing high pressure washers for John Deere private label account. In 1975, they celebrated the production of their 100,000th high pressure washer. John was chairman of the board for the 70-employee company when he was named Iowa's small business person during Small Business Week in 1981. In 1989, the business was sold to Fountain Industries Company of Albert Lea, Minn. John served as a Boy Scout leader, an original board member on the Britt Country Club, served on BIDCO and was a member of the Rotary Club. John's hobbies included woodworking, (making furniture, cupboards, a boat which the family named, "DARN OL" and an organ), playing the organ, photography, boating and golfing. He was an avid reader, and enjoyed vacationing in Hawaii.

John is survived by his wife, Dorothy M. Threlkeld; his son, Dennis and his wife, Carolyn, and their children, Sue Threlkeld and Becky Threlkeld; his daughter, Carol M. Thompson and her husband, James and their children, Christie Carlo and her husband, Timothy, Stephanie Thompson, Doug Thompson and Rob Thompson; two brothers, Don Threlkeld of Forest City, and Jim Threlkeld of Punta Gorda, Fla; and one sister, Peg Todd of Williamsburg, Va. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one sister.