John William Scheffler
October 16, 1921 — March 25, 2017
On October 16, 1921, John William Scheffler was born to William and May (Young) Scheffler, on the family farm east of Hancock, Iowa. He was the youngest of their five children and attended country school through the 8th grade. When his father passed away, John was needed at home to help with the work on the farm. John, his mother and sister Katie were members of the Methodist Church in Hancock.
When World War II broke out, John enlisted in the Navy and was stationed on an LST in the South Pacific. When the war ended, John was discharged on Christmas Day 1945 in Omaha, Nebraska. There was a snow storm but he made his way home to be with his family for Christmas.
John and Clara Schuttloffel were married on August 3, 1946, in Hancock at the Methodist Church. John and Clara had two children: Susan and John, Jr. They lived in Hancock and John drove the road maintainer for Pottawattamie County for four years. After he and Clara moved to Avoca they became members of Trinity Lutheran Church and John worked for Mez Implement as a welder. After several years, John then took the job as the maintenance man for the City of Avoca. His children loved riding along with him in the snow plow every winter, as he cleared the snow from Avoca’s streets and alleys. In 1961, he was asked to take charge of a new vision for Pottawattamie County which was to build several new parks and recreation areas. John designed and built Arrowhead Park in Neola, Iowa; Botana Bend in Hancock; Old Towne in Macedonia, Iowa; and Longs Landing in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He built everything, from the roads to the buildings, that you see in these parks. John took great pride in every job he ever had and did the work to the very best of his ability.
John and Clara enjoyed camping and after they retired they took their camper south every winter, going either to South Texas or to Arizona to see family. They traveled a lot and went to the east coast to see friends and the west coast to visit family.
John enjoyed gardening, and he loved to hunt and fish. Every Fall he enjoyed tramping through farm fields hunting pheasants with his son-in-law Charlie, and one of Charlie’s hunting dogs. He also liked to hunt ducks at Riverton, Iowa, and every fall traveled with Charlie to southern Iowa for duck hunting.
John and Clara played cards every day and truly loved each other’s company. When Clara passed away in March of 2015, John tried living at home alone. In October, he decided to move to Assisted Living in Avoca. After about a year he realized he needed more help and moved to Little Flower Haven in Earling, Iowa. John went to be with his Lord and Savior very peacefully, Saturday afternoon, March 25, 2017, after a brief illness, having attained the age of ninety-five years, five months, and nine days.
John was proceeded in death by his parents; his son John Jr.; his loving wife Clara; his brothers Herman and his wife Olga; Elmer and his wife Fern; Raymond and his wife Delma; and his sister Katie and her husband Ted Waddell.
Left to cherish his memory are his daughter Susan and her husband Charles Ronnfeldt; granddaughter Erin (Mike Yates) and Kara (Joe Boro); great-granddaughters Adryan, Lauren, and Claira Yates and Elizabeth Boro; daughters-in-law Gina Scheffler and Carol Page; grandson Scott Barker; granddaughter Jennifer Peterson; nieces and nephews; and many friends.
When World War II broke out, John enlisted in the Navy and was stationed on an LST in the South Pacific. When the war ended, John was discharged on Christmas Day 1945 in Omaha, Nebraska. There was a snow storm but he made his way home to be with his family for Christmas.
John and Clara Schuttloffel were married on August 3, 1946, in Hancock at the Methodist Church. John and Clara had two children: Susan and John, Jr. They lived in Hancock and John drove the road maintainer for Pottawattamie County for four years. After he and Clara moved to Avoca they became members of Trinity Lutheran Church and John worked for Mez Implement as a welder. After several years, John then took the job as the maintenance man for the City of Avoca. His children loved riding along with him in the snow plow every winter, as he cleared the snow from Avoca’s streets and alleys. In 1961, he was asked to take charge of a new vision for Pottawattamie County which was to build several new parks and recreation areas. John designed and built Arrowhead Park in Neola, Iowa; Botana Bend in Hancock; Old Towne in Macedonia, Iowa; and Longs Landing in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He built everything, from the roads to the buildings, that you see in these parks. John took great pride in every job he ever had and did the work to the very best of his ability.
John and Clara enjoyed camping and after they retired they took their camper south every winter, going either to South Texas or to Arizona to see family. They traveled a lot and went to the east coast to see friends and the west coast to visit family.
John enjoyed gardening, and he loved to hunt and fish. Every Fall he enjoyed tramping through farm fields hunting pheasants with his son-in-law Charlie, and one of Charlie’s hunting dogs. He also liked to hunt ducks at Riverton, Iowa, and every fall traveled with Charlie to southern Iowa for duck hunting.
John and Clara played cards every day and truly loved each other’s company. When Clara passed away in March of 2015, John tried living at home alone. In October, he decided to move to Assisted Living in Avoca. After about a year he realized he needed more help and moved to Little Flower Haven in Earling, Iowa. John went to be with his Lord and Savior very peacefully, Saturday afternoon, March 25, 2017, after a brief illness, having attained the age of ninety-five years, five months, and nine days.
John was proceeded in death by his parents; his son John Jr.; his loving wife Clara; his brothers Herman and his wife Olga; Elmer and his wife Fern; Raymond and his wife Delma; and his sister Katie and her husband Ted Waddell.
Left to cherish his memory are his daughter Susan and her husband Charles Ronnfeldt; granddaughter Erin (Mike Yates) and Kara (Joe Boro); great-granddaughters Adryan, Lauren, and Claira Yates and Elizabeth Boro; daughters-in-law Gina Scheffler and Carol Page; grandson Scott Barker; granddaughter Jennifer Peterson; nieces and nephews; and many friends.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John William Scheffler, please visit our flower store.