John Rex Flohr

John Rex Flohr, 83, Logansport, died on December 2, 2018 at St. Vincent Hospital, Kokomo, following an extended decline in his health since October. 

John was born to Robert and Sylvia (Hoover) Flohr on his grandparents’ farm in Akron, Indiana on October 6, 1935. Some of his childhood memories growing up on the farm included riding on the hayfork with his sisters, June (Hileman) and Peggy (Smith) while his grandfather drove the horses through the fields, breaking his wrist when he fell from a ladder trying to escape from his brother Larry who was poking him with a pitchfork, running barefoot from April until October and squishing his toes into warm cow pies on colder days.

Around the age of six, his family moved to Peru, Indiana where his parents ran the Cafeteria in the ammunition factory during WW2. John recalled a particularly frightening day when there was an explosion at the factory. Schools dismissed students to go home and they waited anxiously until Robert and Sylvia arrived safely home late that evening. Other children in town were not so fortunate. 

John graduated Peru High School in 1955 and immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps with his best friends, Herb Hand, Don Ploss, Richard Garner and Richard Mooney. His time in the Corps included service in Operation Blu Bat during the 1958 Lebanon Crisis. His 4 years of service in the Marine Corps were among the most character building and impactful of his life. For his service in Beirut, John received a Presidential Unit Citation, a Cold War Medal, a Medal of Good Conduct, and a Combat Action Ribbon for National Defense. 

On June 21, 1969, John married Norma Conn at (St. Luke’s) Trinity Lutheran Church. The following year, he adopted her three children, Rodney, Terri (Teresa) and Patty (Patricia). Soon after that, they moved into their family home on County Road 350 North, widely recognized as the house with the Donald Duck mailbox. 

After the Corps, John worked for Wallace Furniture in Peru, Logan Machine and then for 30 years delivering bottled gas at Weldstar Company, Logansport. In his free time, he loved to go camping, fishing and morel mushroom hunting with family and friends. He planned many fishing trips to Canada with various buddies and loved spending his time on any lake that would offer up a great catch. 

There was always an unofficial competition between John and his sisters, June and Peg, to see who could harvest the first ripe tomato of the season.

John was an accomplished woodworker, remodeling kitchens in Logansport in the late 60s and early 70s. He used his skills to craft and restore many beautiful pieces of furniture for his family and friends. He enjoyed teaching those woodworking skills with family and friends, whenever someone had the time to spare in his workshop.

John was a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, a lifetime member of the Loyal Order of Moose and a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Logansport, where he served on the property committee and the church council for many terms. After retirement, he also sang in the church choir for many years “on a dare.”

His favorite food was pie, specifically  raspberry but any fruit pie will do. Many Flohr family gatherings included a fight for the last slice of chocolate pie and “Uncle Johnny” usually won. Occasionally, a slice of pie was sacrificed in the battle.

John is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Norma, children, Rodney (Beth Ann) Flohr, Cold Spring, MN, Terri Woodruff (Paul Knox), Logansport and Patricia (Philip) Stringer, Jamestown, NC, eight grandchildren, Jamae Woodruff, Mary Flohr (Gil) Ramirez, Steven Woodruff (Ashley Maroney), Benjamin (Cheyenne) Flohr, Spencer Flohr, Margaret Stringer, Emily Flohr (Jason) Lawson and Rachel Stringer, five great grandchildren, his sister, Peggy Smith, Peru and 22 nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert, 1958, Sylvia (Hoover) Flohr, 1983, nephew, Christopher Brandt, 1997, father-in-law Gene Conn, 1998 and mother-in-law Evelyn (Herron) Conn, 2001, his brother Larry Flohr, 2002, niece, Donna Sue Conn, his sister June Hileman, 2012, and brothers-in-law Donald Conn, 2015 and Richard Smith, 2018. 

Visitation will be held at Kroeger Funeral Home on Thursday, December 6, 2018, from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Visitation at Trinity Lutheran Church begins Friday, December 7, 2018, at 10 a.m., service following at 11 a.m., with Pastor Larry DeVos officiating.

He will be buried with full military honors at Ever-Rest Memorial Park, Logansport.

Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church Memorial Fund. 

The family would like to thank the nurses and doctors of St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, Miller’s Merry Manor, Logansport, Logansport Memorial Hospital and Saint Vincent’s Hospital, Kokomo. Additionally, they would like to thank the Veterans Administration of Indianapolis for many years of care and services since his retirement. 

Semper Fi.

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