John Burkhart

John A. Burkhart, 89, of Pilot Mound, Iowa, passed away on Monday, June 4, 2018, at Northridge Village in Ames, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 7, 2018, at the United Methodist Church in Pilot Mound. Pastor Beth Justice will officiate. Burial will be in Woodward Cemetery in Woodward, Iowa. Visitation will be Thursday, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church. For online obituaries and condolences please visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com

John Arnold Burkhart was born November 29, 1928, the son of Mahlon and Cora (Anderson) Burkhart, in Woodward, Iowa. Due to his mother's death and his father's enlistment in the military, John, his brother Arthur and sisters, Roberta and Rose Marie were raised by his paternal grandparents on a farm north of Woodward. He was educated and graduated from Woodward High School in 1946, where he participated in football, baseball and basketball. John enjoyed his classmates and he attended every class reunion they held.

On June 23, 1948, John was united in marriage to Dorothy Jean Gladson of Woodward. From this union they were blessed with a daughter, Carolyn and a son, Ronald.

John borrowed $1000.00 from his brother Arthur and started farming south of Woodward on a rocky, hilly piece of ground. They then moved to Granger where John raised corn, beans, watermelon, cantaloupe and vegetables to sell from the farm. They also had an egg route in Des Moines weekly. John continued to farm after they moved to Ogden for 7 years. Being a tenant farmer was hard and when the Ogden farm sold, they moved to Pilot Mound to farm for several years. John and Dorothy attended the Ogden Covenant Church, Evangelical United Brethren Church in Boxholm and Pilot Mound Methodist Church.

In 1981, John and Dorothy took their grandson, Vince into their home for 18 years so he could attend Grand Community/Ogden schools.

After many years of hard work and saving, John and Dorothy finally purchased their own farm north of Pilot Mound. They cleared debris, painted buildings, added a machine shed, moved the driveway and planted 70 trees and bushes. They added on a large addition to their home later on. John had a farm sale in 1998 along with his retirement. Dorothy died in 1999 after a 14 year struggle with cancer.

On November 8, 2002, John married Orma Bailey at the United Methodist Church in Pilot Mound, surrounded by their families. They enjoyed many fun activities together with friends and family for 13 years. Orma's daughter, Rhonda Knepper and three granddaughters were a special part of John's life during this time. Orma died in 2013 from complications following surgery.

John remained on the farm for a few years until his health failed him. He moved to the Eastern Star Home in Boone where he stayed in the residential building, enjoying visits and eating out with family members. His health declined rapidly after a fall and a serious virus in April of 2018. After hospitalization, John was moved to Northridge Village for skilled care, passing away on June 4th.

He is survived by his daughter, Carolyn (Chuck) Swanson of Ames, Iowa; son, Ron Burkhart of Ames, Iowa; four grandchildren, Brad (Angie) Lambert, Kevin (Sara) Lambert, Lori (Todd) Welch and Vincent Burkhart; 10 greatgrandchildren; a sister, Roberta Mockmoore of Moline, Illiois ; step-daughter, Rhonda Knepper of Florida and three step-granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Dorothy in 1999; wife, Orma in 2013; brother, Arthur Burkhart; sister, Rose Pappas; sister-in-law, Bonita Burkhart and brother-in-law, Tom Mockmoore Sr.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.