John Andrew Flender

JOHN ANDREW FLENDER

Silver Springs, Fla.

John Andrew Flender, 75, of Silver Springs, Fla., passed away Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, at his house. He was born Oct. 18, 1946, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Andrew John and Cora Lorine (Goins) Flender.

John was raised on the family farm on Seven Sisters Road in Ely, Iowa. He was the only boy with four sisters. Plenty of antics were played by him and his sisters on that farm.

John's first paying job was as a boy cleaning chicken coops for Lee Furmeister for 4 dollars a day and dinner. John attended the country school behind the family farm, then later attended Solon Schools.

John was fascinated with cars all his life. To this day he could still tell you the model and year of car that his grade school teacher drove. He owned his own auto repair business for years in Cedar Rapids and Ely until he began working and eventually retiring from Local 2158 as a millwright. John and his wife Lina traded the Iowa winters for warm Florida. The years they lived in Florida, John and Lina enjoyed many hobbies and travels. John even became the unofficial road commissioner for his neighborhood using his dad's 46 Massey Ferguson tractor.

John is survived by his three children, Marcia (Lonnie) Flender Triplett, John Michael (Angela) Flender and Jeremy (Julie Kaplan) Flender; his grandchildren, Jessica (Sam) Callahan, Andrew Triplett, Chloe and Zachary Flender; stepchildren, Rick (Mary) Simmons, Gary (Chris) Simmons, Jolene (Mark Chapman) Weeks and Lela Julis; 17 step-grandchildren; sisters, Anna (Pete) Flender Hadrava Gstohl, Mary Sue Deyen and Theresa Provencial; and several nieces and nephews.

John was a lifelong friend to anyone he met. He'd do anything for anyone. He was definitely the kind of guy who would give the shirt off his back. Many times he'd repair cars for free if a person was in need. There are four lifelong friends that John considered as brothers. They are Raymond Henecke, Larry McCalley, Donnie Wullner and Russ Maresh.

He was proceeded in death by his parents; nephew, EB Rosa; his second wife, Hermia Flender; his third wife, Lina Flender; and four stepchildren.

A memorial service was Saturday, Nov. 13, in Silver Springs, Florida at John's home. A service is also scheduled on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, at the Shueyville Community Center in Shueyville, Iowa, from 3 to 7 p.m.