John (Jack) Edward Curry

John Edward Curry, the son of Ralph Joseph and Audrey Mae Trailer Curry, was born August 12, 1925, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital, and died November 1, 2010, at the Exira Care Center in Exira, Iowa at the age of 85 years, 2 months, and 19 days.
Jack was baptized at the Atlantic Christian Church. He became a member of the Exira Christian Church, taught Sunday school, and served on the Church Board including a term as chairman. Jack was a member of the Exodus Lodge No. 342, Eastern Star, and the Exira Lions Club.
He attended rural Grant #5 school in Cass County, Iowa through the eighth grade and then went to the Exira Community High School graduating with the Class of 1943. After graduation, Jack continued helping his parents operate the family farm in Oakfield.
On 19 February 1944, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. As Corporal in 2nd Marine Division during his tour of duty, he served as a tank driver in the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre seeing action at Okinawa and Mariana Islands. Jack was in the first wave of Marines landing on Saipan and Tinian, the D-Day of the Pacific 15 June 1944. On Saipan he took part in building B-29 airstrips still in use today using a bulldozer attached to the Sherman tank he drove. Jack was part of the first wave of unprotected Marines occupying Nagasaki, Japan after the Atomic Bomb. He was honorably discharged on 8 August 1946, and returned to Oakfield. He was a member of the Brayton American Legion Post and a member of VFW Dale Christensen Post in Audubon.
On June 20, 1948, he was united in marriage to Ferne Lorraine Schlater at the Exira Christian Church. The couple moved north of Brayton, Iowa to a farm that became a Century Family farm. They were blessed with two daughters, Jacqueline Mae and Mary Jill.
Jack attended Des Moines Community College and Agricultural Veterans Classes where he learned about ethanol production and agricultural conservation practices. Jack was a true steward of the land choosing to use contour farming and planting native prairie grasses to reduce erosion before it was a common practice. He focused on developing his herd of purebred Hereford cattle. Jack was very involved in the American Agricultural Movement of 1977 and worked to help farmers keep from losing their farms due to very high interest rates. Jack and Ferne went to Washington, DC twice in support of the National Tractorcade protesting anti-agricultural legislation. He also loved working with machinery, and he operated heavy equipment during the construction of Interstate 80. Jack and Ferne farmed until they retired in 1998. After retirement, they moved to Exira.
Jack enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Because he liked kids so much he was a member of the Big Brothers of America and he also served as a 4-H Leader in Oakfield Township. He always treated children like real people and usually had M&Ms to hand out to the kids that came to visit. Jack moved to the Exira Care Center on September 2, 2002.
Survivors include Jacks wife, Ferne of Exira, Iowa. Daughter Jackie and husband Ted Madrid, and their children, Curry Marie Mirabal, and Marcos and Kelly Madrid of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Daughter Jill and husband Gerry Henningsen of Monument, Colorado, and children, Tyler and wife Katie Henningsen of Lexington, Kentucky, and Krystal Henningsen of Raleigh, North Carolina. Jacks sister Harriet Kirk of Newell, Iowa and his sister-in-law Bernice McCrory of Des Moines, Iowa. Nieces, Sharon Christensen Burlingame, Debbie Kirk Carlson, Pamela Kirk Nielson, Eileen Ann McCrory, and Jennifer Bell Robinson , and nephews, John Christensen, Allen Hays and Craig Bell and their families and many other relatives and friends.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Cathryn and husband Charlie Christensen, his sister-in-law Virginia and husband George Bell, and his brothers-in-law Norman Kirk and Don McCrory.

Cemetery:
Interment will be in the Exira Cemetery in Exira, Iowa.

Visitation:
The family will meet with friends on Friday evening, November 5, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. with Masonic Services at 7:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira.

Service:
Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Alan Finestead on Saturday, November 6, 2010, at 10:30 A.M. at the Exira Christian Church in Exira, Iowa.