- Date Of Birth: April 14, 1941
- Date Of Death: August 11, 2011
- State: Illinois
John William Barnett, 70, of Roodhouse, IL died Thursday, August 11, 2011 at his residence.
He was born April 14, 1941 in Roodhouse, the son of Donald Edward and Eliza Strang Andras Barnett. He graduated from Roodhouse High School in 1959, attended Westminister College in Fulton, MO, transferring to Iowa State University and graduating in 1964 with a bachelor of science in Agriculture. While at Iowa State University, he was a member of the Army ROTC and was commissioned upon graduation into the US Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps. He married the former Pauline Reavy on December 27, 1965 at the Church of Our Saviour in Jacksonville, IL.
After completing his tour of duty in Vietnam, he returned to the family farm in Roodhouse where he began farming in 1968. He was the 5th generation of the Barnett family to have farmed this land east of Roodhouse and did so until his very recent decline in health. He completed his last harvest in November 2010. His hobbies included collecting GM&O model railroad toys and memorabilia. He was a member of the GM&O Historical Society and the Greene County Farm Bureau. He especially enjoyed sharing his love of trains with his grandson Lance as well as watching him play his first T-ball game this summer.
John is survived by his wife, Pauline of Roodhouse; his daughter, Jean Barnett Weitekamp (husband, Jeff) and grandson, Lance Barnett Weitekamp of Morrisonville, IL; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He will be sadly missed by his family and many friends.
