Service: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 12, United Methodist Church, Wilton. Visitation: 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, Bentley Funeral Home, Wilton. Additional visitation will be one hour prior to the service, church.

WILTON, Iowa — John J. Witmer, 76, of Moscow, a resident of Cedar Manor Assisted Living, Tipton, died Sunday, March 8, 2009, at University Hospitals in Iowa City.

The Rev. Jon Gimmy will officiate. 

Interment will be at the Healy Cemetery, Moscow.

Memorial donations may be made to Moscow United Methodist Church, the Gideons International or the Cedar County Historical Society in his memory.

Online remembrances and condolences may be left at www.bentleyfuneralhome.com

Serving as casketbearers will be Martin Irwin, Dale Irwin, Terry Tygrett, Andy Tygrett, Craig Bach, Randy Marolf

Mr. Witmer was born in Muscatine, April 7, 1932, the son of John H. and Mary E. (Kuehl) Witmer.

 He was a graduate of Wilton High School in 1948 and received his bachelor’s  from the University of Iowa in 1952.  He was president of the Wilton High School Alumni Association in 1983. After college he farmed the family farm until 1995.

He was a member of the Moscow United Methodist Church and served as chairman of the administrative board and the Muscatine District Council of Ministries.  He was elected to the Iowa Methodist History and Archives Commission from 1996-2004 and attended nine convocations. He was a member of Gideons International, Walcott-West Branch Camp.

He was actively involved in local history activities. Charter  — life member and past president of the Cedar County Historical Society, founding — life member and past president of the Muscatine Area Heritage Association, past president of the Iowa Local Historical and Museum Association and on the board of Pilots of Mississippi Riverboat Buffs, Keokuk.  He was a member of several other historical societies and numerous historical celebration committees.

He had historical articles published in the Cedar County Historical Review, Muscatine Heritage Reflections, Wilton-Moscow Yesteryear and in the proceedings of the Methodist North Central History and Archives Commission.

He had a lifelong interest in exhibiting grain, vegetables and flowers at fairs and shows. He was an accredited judge of the North American Gladiolas Council, past president of the Illinois Gladiolas Society, member of the Michigan Gladiolas Society and long time superintendent of the Mississippi Valley Fair Gladiolas Show. 

He was an accredited judge of the American Dahlia Society, past president of the former Tri-City Dahlia Society, Moline, Ill. and a member of the Southtown and Central States Dahlia Societies of Chicago  and a former member of the Elkhart, Ind. Dahlia Society.  He was a member of the Durant Garden Club and the Tri-City Rose and Garden Club.

He had shown flowers and participated in activities in nine states.  He had shown continuously at the West Liberty Fair since 1947 and the Mississippi Valley Fair since 1952. He also served on the 'Top Ten” show growers report for the NAGC.

He is survived and lovingly remembered by several cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents.