John H. Mayer
John H. Mayer
John H. Mayer
September 02, 1940 – June 24, 2012
Oskaloosa, Iowa
Served with Honor – United States Military Veteran
Visitation: will begin at 10 a.m., Wednesday morning, June 27, 2012 at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel. The family will be present from 6 – 8 p.m. to greet visitors.
Funeral Service: 10:30 a.m., Thursday morning, June 28, 2012 at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel with Reverend Tom Boomershine of the Central United Methodist Church officiating.
Interment: Forest Cemetery with Military Honors by the Oskaloosa Honor Guard.
John passed away very unexpectedly Sunday morning at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines at the age of 72 years, 9 months and 22 days.
John Mayer was born September 2, 1940 in Oskaloosa, Iowa to Harold A. and Mary Eleanor Hoy Mayer. John was a 1958 graduate of Oskaloosa High School and then attended Simpson College and William Penn College. In 1962, John joined the United States Coast Guard serving his four years in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula at Marquette and Munising. While in Marquette, John met and married Janice E. Herrick April 18, 1964. Following his discharge in 1968, John and Janice moved to Oskaloosa where he joined his father managing Mayer’s Standard Service Station. February 21, 1996, due to costly new government pollution regulations, John closed Mayer’s Standard and changed the business to a flea market, The Trade Station. February 3, 2004, an oil tanker ran into the building and John closed The Trade Station and was then able to spend time at his farm. He loved spending time outdoors and developed a large farm pond where he enjoyed fishing. He put in a large garden, raised chickens, geese, goats and this year began raising bees. John enjoyed history, particularly Revolutionary War Rendezvous and black powder shooting. He loved returning to the Upper Peninsula for vacation and also was fond of Newfoundland dogs.
John’s family includes his wife of 48 years, Janice; his children and their spouses: Leah (Bob) Odzinski of Kirksville, MO; Flora (Raymond) Coakley Holdsworth of Oskaloosa; Benjamin (Crystal) Mayer of Winterset, IA and Bill (Crystal) Mayer of New Sharon, Iowa; and five grandchildren: Violet Odzinski, Hannah and Jonah Coakley and Arthur and David Mayer; a brother and sister-in-law: Richard (Florence) Mayer of Helena, Montana.
John was preceded in death by his parents and a son-in-law, Albert Anthony Coakley.
