John Blough, Jr

John Blough Jr., 87, was born May 3, 1937, in New York City, New York. He was born to Alvin and Gertrude DeBoer Blough.

He graduated from Iowa Mennonite School and worked for Proctor & Gamble and various farms in Iowa. In 1959, he graduated from Hesston College with a degree in agriculture. At Hesston College, he did many mission trips, sang in the choir, and met his wife, Isabelle Hartzler. They married on July 18, 1959, in Goshen, Indiana, with intentions to fulfill his dreams of being a missionary in Brazil. Therefore, at the end of 1959, they moved to Araguacema, Brazil, where he served his alternative service with the Mennonite Board of Mission and Charities. They stayed over a 25-year period, including several furloughs to visit family and friends in the States. In his term of service in Brazil, John served as a maintenance and construction worker, as well as assisted in teaching mathematics, Bible study, and physical education at the Rua Rui Barboasa Day School in Araguacema.

After they returned to the United States, they made their home in Hesston, Kansas, and he began working for various trucking companies, such as Thermo Shield, Berry Trucking, J.D. Enterprises, Floyd Wild, and Kustom Karriers. He retired at the age of 78.

John had a gift of finding a connection with any person he met. He enjoyed sharing his love for gardening, farming, playing games, and sports (ping-pong, basketball, softball, and soccer) with others and family.

John and Isabelle also opened their home to be host parents to many international students through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Students came from Barbuda, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Panama, and Japan.

He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Seabie DeBoer; parents, Alvin and Gertrude Blough; brother, Jerry Blough; sister, Jane Blough; sister, Joyce McLear; brother-in-law, Marland Smith (Judy); brother-in-law, Terry Rodgers (Julia); sister-in-law, Marva Blough (Jim); sister-in-law, Della Blough (J.Arden); and daughter-in-law, Amy Blough (Steve).

He is survived by his wife, Isabelle Blough; and siblings, Judy Smith, Jim Blough, Jay Blough (Mary), J. Arden Blough (Lisa), and Julia Rodgers; his children, Steve Blough, Rachel Phelps, and Melody Enns (Jeff); and his grandchildren, Rachel Kijewski, Bobby Phelps, Walter Phelps (Cassie), Holly Phelps, Jade Blough, Krystal Blough, and Madi Enns; and great-grandchildren, Zander Strausburg, LillyAnn Strausburg, Mackenzie Phelps, Arlo Phelps, Alora Strausburg, Opal Phelps; nieces, nephews, and priceless friends.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 1, at the Hesston Mennonite Church.

John led a life full of service and continues to even after death, as he is now off to medical school. Your memorial contributions can go to Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) or Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in care of Miller-Ott Funeral Home, PO Box 32, Hesston, KS, 67062.