John T Wales

John T. Wales, age 83, of rural Bussey, Iowa, went to be with his Lord on December 23, 2022.

Visitation for John will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the Independent Bible Church in Bussey from 9:00 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. A memorial service will take place at the church at 10:30 A.M. Following services, a luncheon will be held at the church. A private family burial will be held on a later date at Liberty Cemetery.

John was born on August 5, 1939, to Raymond Richard and Mabel Letha (Edinger) Wales on his parent’s farm in rural Bussey. John graduated from Bussey High School in 1957. He was a lifelong farmer. John worked at the local livestock sale barns when he was younger. He enjoyed drinking coffee with relatives and his friends at Wilson’s Corner and recycling old junk.

On January 1, 1960, he was united in marriage to Alice Ilene DeJong at the Methodist Church Parsonage in Bussey, Iowa. To this union there were 4 children; John Allen, Raymond Richard, Bonnie Mae, and Roger Dale. John also had another son, Kevin Dale Van Weelden, and a daughter, Kathy Jo Van Weelden.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 62 years, Alice Wales; his sons, John (Beth) Wales of Bussey, IA, Raymond (Janet) Wales of Hiteman, IA, Roger Wales of Bussey, IA, and Kevin Van Weelden of Knoxville, IA, his daughters, Bonnie (Rick) Bartell of Bussey, IA, and Kathy Jo (Denny) Crook of Knoxville, IA. John is also survived by his sisters, Vergie Hodson of West Des Moines, IA, and Letha Brinkman of Greene, IA, and brother, Robert (Karen) Wales of Bussey, IA. John is also survived by 24 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren, many nephews and nieces, great nephews and nieces and friends.

John is preceded in death by his parents; his siblings, Kenneth Wales, Leonard Wales, Esther Kooyman, Lora Newton, Ila Mae Josephs, and infant Willard Wales. He is also preceded by his in-laws, John DeJong, Pete DeJong, Nick DeJong, Nellie Reimersma, and Ann Burton.