John W. Fay, son of Albert and Louise Whetley Fay, was born February 25, 1926, in Saskatchewan, Canada. He attended country school in the Sumner, Iowa area and graduated from Sumner High school in 1945.

            On October 18, 1949, he was united in marriage with Edna Franzen at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in St. Lucas. John was a lifelong farmer and also operated a welding shop on his farm where he invented and fabricated various items of metal. Among his favorite pastimes, he enjoyed fishing, playing snooker, and mushroom hunting.

            Following a brief illness, John’s death occurred on Thursday, February 2, 2012, at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo. He was eighty-five years old and had been a longtime member of St. Bridget’s Catholic Church (Pinhook) of rural Sumner.

            He is survived by his former wife, Edna of Sumner; nine children, Joanne (Bob) Huss of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Frank Fay of Macomb, Illinois, Christine (Ed) Tibesar of Cedar Rapids, James (Barbara) Fay of Waverly, John (Joyce) Fay of Waverly, Diane Fay of Des Moines, Barbara (Jay) Hageman of Decorah, David Fay of Fredericksburg, and Michael Fay of Waverly; twenty-four grandchildren, thirty-four great grandchildren, and one great great grandson.

            John was preceded in death by a daughter, Kathy Sue Fay; his parents; and siblings.  

            Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Sumner with Rev. Dale Rausch officiating. Interment will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery (Pinhook), rural Sumner. Friends may call from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 8, 2012, at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Sumner where there will be a Rosary recited at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Friends may also call for one hour preceding Mass at the church on Thursday.  Memorials may be directed to the family for a memorial fund to be determined later.