John Besco, 1942-2014
John Wallace Besco, 72, died April 30, 2014, at his home in Sigourney, Iowa.
He was born January 6, 1942, in Melrose, Iowa, the son of John Fredrick and Ruby Means Besco. He married Shirley Bettis on July 20, 1963, at the Gospel Chapel Church in Albia.
He retired from John Deere Ottumwa Works after 30 years as a tool and die maker in 1995. John was a farmer in Monroe and Keokuk County area for many years, which he loved to do. He enjoyed golfing, fishing and hunting and liked to travel. Family was very important to him.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Shirley; two sons, Kevin (Tonja) Besco and Darron (Jamie) Besco of Oskaloosa; a daughter, Shannon (Brian) Johnson of Burlington; seven grandchildren, Erika Besco, Christopher Besco, Samantha Bishop, Amanda Lucas, Arron Besco, Zachary and Adam Johnson; five great-grandchildren, Bryer Brown, Seth Bishop, Brooklyn, Alexandria and Jacob Lucas; three sisters, Constance Besco of Ft. Myers, Fla., Jolene (Robert) Abrahamson of Albia and Sue Baker of Ottumwa; a brother, Michael (Vana) Baker and his stepmother, Barbara Besco of Albia; three nephews and three nieces.
John was preceded in death by his parents; maternal grandparents; a nephew, Logan Baker, and a great-granddaughter, Kaylee Bishop. His body has been cremated.
Memorial services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Reece Funeral Home with Pastor Mark Doll officiating. Private family inurnment will be in Highland Cemetery in Eddyville at a later date.
Visitation with the family present will be 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Source: The Ottumwa Courier, Ottumwa Iowa, May 1, 2014
Editor’s Note: John Besco and his family lived in Wichita in the 1950s and appear in Census data for the time when he attended East High. The family later returned to Iowa.
