Memorial Service for John Farner

Comments from Joy McIndoo March 19, 2008 during the Memorial Service

(Photo of Joy with her son's Steve and Kevin and grandson Cory)

Our Dad was a very loving , caring and a protective Father and grandfather . He always put God first then his family. I thank God for a Christian Father and Mother who prayed for us that we would be faithful and obedient to God. We were so blessed to have Christian parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

I have such wonderful memories of Dad growing up on the farm with laughter, teasing an d playing jokes on each and Dad was always the instigator . I remember one night at the house when Dad came in from doing chores and he started teasing us girls by chasing us the table and put us on the floor and started tickling us and laughing like crazy. Of course you can image 3 girls screaming and the louder we screamed the harder he tickle us. Well one night Dad got caught as he was chasing us and tickling us he looked up to the outside door that has a window in it and saw our neighbor looking in with such a shock on his face and of course that ended out play. Dad and to explain to our neighbor that we were only playing and not fighting. That was the way our home life like. I can see why Dad wanted a son to have some relief from us giggling girls. So now Rick, Dad left us for you to put up with us as we still giggle and never shut up.

I could go on and on about all the funny and wonderful time we had growing up on the farm with Dad and Mom. Even Mom would get in on the action. She would be talking to us about our day and Dad would walk out the door shaking his head but loved every minute of it.

Then we all married and moved away and I moved the furthest away but felt very fortune that I got to spend time with them together when they would come out to California. Or we would go to Idaho and see the love and happiness they had together. What an example and testimony to us.

Chuck and I had wonderful trips camping, fishing and going on a cruise with them. I can remember how Dad would get so excited when there was a crises. When we were visiting Dad and Mother and Frances called us to tell us that Frank haystack was on fire and needed our help. Chuck calmly went outside to get the pickup and put shovels in the back and drove pickup to the house waiting patiently for Dad. Well Dad had a hard time getting into his pants as he was hopping from one leg to another trying to get his pants on. Mother and I was laughing so hard that we couldn’t help him.  We found out later that Dad did same thing when the church burned down.

But my special memories of Dad was his faithfulness and obedience to God and reading his Bible. Sunday was his day to rest and no work in the fields. The field man would have problems with Dad as he refused to work on Sunday and they would tell him he would lose his crop if he didn’t get out in the field and top it. But God blessed him and he never lost a crop.

I have seen Dad many times sitting in his chair reading his Bible especially when he was troubled about something. In front of his Bible he has written many verses and what they meant to him. Two verses he has of mother, Proverbs 19:14 and 18:22 “Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing obtaining favor of the Lord.” Dad's map was his Bible and his guide was the Holy Spirit.

I would be talking to Dad over the phone and he would tell me, “Joy, every night I pray for my family starting with my children, in-laws, grandchildren and great grandchildren and name each one. I know that’s why I can stand up here today and talk about God is because of my Dad and Mother's prayers.

When Dad left this earth Sat. night at 9:00 I know Jesus took his hands and said, “Well done faithful servant“. My Prayer is that I can be faithful to God like my father was and that God can say to me also, “Well done, Faithful servant.”