John S. Seymour - Adel

John Sylvester Seymour, 98, died on Friday March 14, 2014, at the Masonic Home in Perry, Iowa. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 18 at the United Methodist Church in Adel, Iowa. Burial with honors will follow at the Oakdale Cemetery. Friends may call after 2 PM Monday at McCalley Funeral Home in Adel where family will greet friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with prayer service at 7:00 p.m. John was born the only child to John E. and Mary (Shafer) Seymour in Great Falls, Montana, on November 7, 1915. In 1918 they moved back to Iowa where his father farmed and worked as a coal miner in Boone, Story and Dallas Counties. John graduated from Ogden High School in 1935. In the late 30's John and a buddy worked their way to California and back with one of his jobs being a cat skinner in the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in the summer of 1941 and served as a bombardier on Martin B26's and later as an inspector in the European Theater in WWII. John married Elva Shillington in December 1945 after they were both discharged from the armed forces. They were married for 52 years until her death in 1998. They farmed for 15 years until 1960 north of Adel. John went to work at the Vern Danielson Elevator in Adel in 1954 and worked there (with the exception of a short break at a tackinite plant in northern Minnesota) until 1977 when he retired as assistant manager/book keeper. After he retired, John and Elva stayed in Adel until 1995 when they moved to Minburn to be closer to their son Ralph. He moved to the Masonic Home in Perry in October 2012. John was preceded in death by his wife Elva and son Ralph. He is survived by his sons, James (Sandy) and John (Linda); daughters, Marie (Steve) Duesenberg and Becca Seymour; 4 grandchildren; 6 great grandchildren; plus 4 step grandchildren and their families. The family wishes to thank the staff at the Masonic Home in Perry for their loving care of John during the last year and a half. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Good Samaritan Food Pantry, 115 South 10th St., Adel, IA 50003. Online condolences may be left at this site. Service: 10:30 AM Tuesday March 18, 2014 United Methodist Church Adel, IA Visitation: Friends may call after 2 PM Monday, Family will greet friends from 5 to 7 PM McCalley Funeral Home Adel, IA