Cover photo for John Farley's Obituary
John Farley Profile Photo
1934 John 2017

John Farley

June 30, 1934 — April 26, 2017

John Thomas Farley, age 82, of Fertile, MN passed away on April 26, 2017 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND.

John was born on June 30, 1934 in Portland, OR to Ross and Eleanor (Johnson) Farley. He grew up in Oregon attended school in Carlton, OR.

On January 23, 1993, John married Mary LaDema Ryan in Crookston, MN. They lived in Polk County from 1993 to the present. From 1999-2015 they lived on a wildlife refuge in Fertile, MN.

John served his country in the Air Force for a period of time after high school, and was based in Greenland. He was then a tuna fisherman in the San Francisco Bay, and then logged in Alaska in the 1950's. After that, he worked for the railroad for some time and then spent the last 40 years working as a welder for the gas and oil pipeline.

John was a very patient man and had a great sense of humor. He enjoyed being sarcastic and loved to tease. He always kept life interesting and loved to fix things. If he couldn't fix something, no one could. John was always there for anyone who needed help, treating everyone as equals. He spent a lot of time volunteering and would give anyone the shirt off his back. John loved children and had housed foster children. He also loved animals, especially his beagle, Molly. John also enjoyed reading, fishing, and gardening, especially roses, his cigarettes, and his coffee. He was also famous for his chicken noodle soup. John always carried his bible with him.

John is survived by his wife, Mary; son, James Farley of Cottonwood, CA; stepchildren, Kari (Brad) Wessman of Fargo, ND, Jay (Tina) Huseby of Bemidji, MN, Jon "Lars" (Annie) Huseby of Bemidji, MN, and Kelly Doda of Crookston, MN; grandchildren, Melody, Laurel, Rachael, Mary, Carma, Megan, Jeremiah, Jens, Page, Janna, Abby, Mya, Jeron, Joey, Jack, and Jacob; great-granddaughter, Scarlett; brother, Chuck Farley of Bend, OR; sister Anne (Jim) Wilbur of Terrebone, OR; and brother-in-law, Jerry VanLoo of Bend, OR.

He is preceded in death by his sisters, Kathleen VanLoo and Viola Ramage.

There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2017 with a visitation one hour prior to service at the Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home in Crookston, MN.

Funeral Home: Stenshoel-Houske Funeral & Cremation Service 615 South Minnesota Street Crookston, MN US 56716

Previous Events

Service
Monday, May 1, 2017
2:00 PM
Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home and Cremation Service

615 South Minnesota Street
Crookston, MN 56716

Visitation one hour prior to service

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