John Walerius

John James Walerius, age 75 of Belle Plaine, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11a.m. on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church in Belle Plaine. Fr. Brian Lynch, Fr. Roger Hessian & Chaplain Helmar Heckel will officiate. Visitation will be from 9:30a.m. till 11a.m. on Wednesday. Interment will be in Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery in Belle Plaine. John was born on January 29, 1942 to Adolph and Dorothy (Odenthal) Walerius. John spent his entire life on his family farm in Belle Plaine. He attended St. Peter & Paul Catholic Elementary School. In June, 1960, John graduated from Belle Plaine High School. He drove truck for Belle Plaine Block & Tile while continuing to farm with his dad. John was drafted into basic training in the Army in 1964. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood and served in Germany for 18 ½ months. On his return home, he continued farming with his dad, while also assembling farm equipment for Siemon Implement. John married Janice Thomason on September 25, 1971. They were blessed with three children, Scott, Jaymie & Lindsey. He was an exceptional bowler and even bowled a ‘298'. Tractor pulling was another passion of his. John and his son, Scott won several trophies with his prized 4020. After milking cows for nearly 60 years, he sold the cows and decided to take on his next adventure of lawn mowing. He was hired by Dale Stier at Valley View Golf Course and worked there for 18 ½ years. John's faith was very important to his life and he shared his faith with his children and grandchildren. His rosary was his constant companion whether he was mowing grass or working in the field. John is survived by his wife of 46 years, Janice, Daughters, Jaymie (Erick) Meade & Lindsey Walerius, Sister, Sr. Donna Walerius, Sisters in law, Bev (Ray) Ince and Kim Thomason, Brother in law, Roger (Jean) Thomason, And many nieces, nephews & friends. He will always be remembered as a loving Grandpa to his 6 grandchildren, Lacy Walerius, Spencer, Jack, Gracie, Sophia & Henry Meade. He will also be missed by his faithful furry companion, Moses. He was preceded in death by his son Scott, parents, mother & father in law, Evelyn & Robert Thomason, two brothers in law, James and Gerald Thomason, and nephew Chad Ince.

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