March 16, 1923 - August 25, 2010

John Henry Ostmeyer was born on the family farm north of Grinnell, Kansas, on March 16, 1923, to George H. and Christina Fromme Ostmeyer. He attended St. Paul's Catholic Grade School in Angelus, Kansas, and graduated from Grinnell High School in 1941.

He grew up in the Catholic Church and lived his faith. He loved people and was always there for the down and out with a second chance, a job, a place to stay, a meal, gas money or bus fare. When he visited friends and family in the hospital or nursing home, he would roam the halls, stopping to visit anyone else he knew. Friends and strangers alike knew his generosity.

That great big Ostmeyer family was a source of love and pride. Growing up on the farm, his parents, George and Christina, were the center of his world. His brothers and sisters, Butch, Wilf, Doss, Chuck, Mercedes and Gene, were not only family, but friends and business partners. His best friend was cousin Henry Ostmeyer Jr., and numerous cousins were classmates and life-long friends. He married Fritz Struckhoff on September 18, 1947, and they instilled that love and pride in their four children; Cathy, Mark, John Charles and Diane. Their marriage, spanning 63 years, was filled with close family, good friends and good times. They were blessed with nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

John never met a stranger and he loved a good time. His sharp mind, quick wit, and easy smile made him a natural salesman; there was nothing more satisfying than a successful land sale. He owned and operated the International Harvester dealership in Sharon Springs, Kansas, farmed in Thomas County, and sold and appraised farm real estate all over Kansas, collecting hundreds of friends along the way. He worked hard, took care of his family, taught his grandkids to drive, earned a good living, and always had time for a game of cards, a drink at the sale barn, dinner at the club, dancing to a good band, pheasant hunting with fellow pilots, or fishing with his brothers at Webster Lake.

Service in World War II introduced him to flying, and it became a life-long passion. He joined the Navy and transferred to the Marine Air Corps, flying TBM Avengers off the U.S. Carrier Siador in the Pacific. Following the war, he remained in the reserves, flying jet aircraft on weekends out of Buckley Field in Denver and later out of the Naval Air Station in Olathe, Kansas. Weekend sorties often took him out over the Kansas plains, and he was known to buzz the locals on more than one occasion. He owned numerous airplanes and passed his last flight physical at the age of 80.

John made his last flight on August 25, 2010. God's peace be with him. May his skies be clear, the air smooth and his landing easy.