Fisher, James Vernon 'Vern'

James Vernon “Vern” Fisher, 87, formerly of Iowa City, passed away Tuesday, May 3, 2011, at Mercy Hospice Care in Iowa City.

Vern was born August 22, 1923, in Perryville, Mo., to Henry August (Gus) and Ella Donohoe Fisher.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, May 6, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Iowa City. The Rev. John Spiegel will officiate. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with a parish vigil beginning at 5 p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Iowa City. The family has requested memorials be made in Vern's name to the Regina Foundation or to Iowa City Hospice.

Vern attended Perryville Schools through his sophomore year, when the family moved to West Branch in 1940. While at West Branch, Vern played football and was a major factor in the undefeated team winning the Eastern Iowa Conference when he was a senior.

In 1947, Vern married Mary Jane Klimes. They lived in the Iowa City area throughout their lives and reared two children, Wayne and Barb. Early on, Vern farmed near Iowa City, and later worked for the city of Iowa City until his retirement in 1988. After Mary Jane's passing, Vern married Betty Kaefring Maher in 1980.

Vern will be remembered for his sociability, his large circle of friends, his sense of humor and his gift of gab. Following his official retirement, Vern worked as a greeter for Walmart in Iowa City, where he was said to know just about everyone it seemed from Iowa, Cedar and Johnson Counties. He had a keen interest in genealogy and delighted in sharing his knowledge of how families were “wired together.”

As a young man, one of his favorite pastimes was dancing. When asked where he went to dance, he responded, “Swisher, Danceland, Oxford, Wellman or wherever there was a dance!” At Vern's 85th birthday celebration, a number of his former dance partners shared their memories and said he was the partner with whom all the women wanted to dance. Vern was a dedicated football fan. He especially loved Notre Dame Football and watching his grandson, Brendan play at Regina High School.

Vern is survived by his son, Wayne Fisher of Iowa City; his granddaughter, Courtney Fisher of Iowa City; his brother, John of Wellman; and by his niece, Jan (Mike) Sullivan of Iowa City, who was more like a daughter than niece to Vern.

Additionally, he is survived by his stepchildren, Sandra (Jim) O'Neill (Davenport), Carol (Bud) Sueppel (Iowa City), Tom (Carol) Kaefring (Cedar Rapids), Ruth Cary (Ponatac, Miss.), Trudy (Tom) Meyers (Coralville), and Gina Kaefring (Inda Scholle) (Iowa City); as well as several nieces and nephews, stepgrandchildren and stepgreat-grandchildren.

Vern was preceded in death by wives Mary Jane (1978) and Betty (2005); his siblings, Mary Agnes, Gladys, Loretta, Eunice and Ralph; his daughter Barbara Fisher (2004); and grandson, Brendan Fisher (2005).

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