John Joseph Farmer, 61, of Tomah died Monday, Dec. 13, 2010, at his home.
He was born April 15, 1949, to Joseph and Carol (Gerke) Farmer in Wilton. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School for eight years and was a member of the Tomah High School graduating class of 1967. John joined the U.S. Navy (Sea Bees) Security Forces in 1968, volunteering to serve in Vietnam. He was honorably discharged Sept. 23, 1970. John was proud to be an American and proud of his time spent serving his country.
He worked for and was co-owner of Farmer Construction Company, first with his father, and then with his brothers and brother-in-law. He was an extremely hard worker, expecting perfection, and was proud of a job well done.
He met and married Ardeen Larson on April 15, 1972. They later adopted two daughters from India: Tamara Manjiri on April 24, 1988, and Tasha Sushila on March 30, 1990.
John was a loving and devoted husband and father. Through the years, he enjoyed hunting and fishing, a trip or two to the casino, and watching his favorite teams: The Packers, Wisconsin Badgers, Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers. As a family, their favorite thing to do was travelingl in Wisconsin and neighboring states, visiting state and national parks and historic sites. John loved anything to do with history. He enjoyed antique shops with Ardeen and the girls, picking up small, unusual items here and there. He also enjoyed helping Ardeen with her crafts, painting and fixing any piece of unique items she brought home. He also enjoyed taking care of his cat Buttercup and his birds. John and Ardeen also helped support two families in India and one in Nigeria through Compassion International.
He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Ardeen; his daughter, Tasha; his mother, Carol Farmer of Tomah; his sisters and brothers, Ann (Robert) Thompson of Kendall, and Mary (Martin) Waltemath, Kay Snider, Donna (Brent) Nicol, Gail (Steve) Wagner, Kurt (Debra) Farmer and Tony (Sue) Farmer, all of Tomah; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Freida (Willis) Hutchins of New Lisbon, Sandra (Bill) Otto of La Crosse, Sharon (Kenneth) Oldenburg of Stoddard, Hazel Kelly of Hamilton, Mont., Thomas (Nancy) Larson of La Crosse, Dennis (Marianda) Larson of Grants Pass, Ore., James Larson of Tomah, Jerry (Yvonne) Larson of Tunnel City, Stephen (Roberta) Larson of Tomah, Gene Oelke of Tomah and LaVern Haldeman of Ontario; and many nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Tiffany, on Nov. 24, 1985, and his daughter, Tamara (March 20, 1987, to March 12, 2005); his father, Joseph; his parents-in-law, Harold and Stella Larson; and three sisters-in-law, Evelyn Oelke, Sharon Larson and Karon Haldeman.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Tomah. Monsignor Richard W. Gilles will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Relatives and friends are invited to call from 4–8 p.m. Thursday at the Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home and one hour prior to the Mass on Friday at the church.
Online condolences may be sent to www.sonnenburgfamilyfh.com.
The family prefers memorials to be given in John’s memory: Compassion International, Vanished and Abused Children’s, St. Jude’s Children Alliance Hospital, The Salvation Army, Operation Homefront, Paralyzed Veterans of Wisconsin, or a charity of your choosing.
An Irish Prayer
May the road rise, up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft in your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
