Obituary of John H. Hummel

John Henry Hummel was born June 30, 1921, the first child of Ed and Lena (Michelsen) Hummel in Cushing, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and was later a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. He graduated from Cushing High School and worked with his dad on the family farm. The family moved to Spirit Lake in 1941, where they continued to farm. John met Doyne Wilson, and after many a dance, they were married on March 17, 1946. They continued to love dancing, playing cards and spending time with family and friends. The couple had two daughters, Candace (1951) and Shelley (1954). John was at his best as a father. He always supported and loved his girls and their families unconditionally. He spent many hours watching their activities during their school years. After many years of farming with his dad and brother, he retired in 1986. In these later years, John's most important jobs were playing cards, reading, enjoying happy hour, and being the best grandpa ever to Jessica (Iwen) Zweifel and Sean Zweifel; Mack Iwen; Katie, Lydia, Sarah and Ben Hummel Dosmann; and Payton and Abigail Zweifel. John lived his life to the fullest and had a lot of fun along the way. He lived hard, worked hard and played hard. He will always be remembered for his generosity, teasing and joking, playing gin, hosting Hummel get-togethers, the annual "Cousins Party", trips in the "R BOMPA" van to see his grandchildren, for being a faithful husband, a devoted father, a loving grandpa, and a good and honest man. We will also remember many of his often used phrases, such as, "It's 5:00 somewhere." Cheers to you, Johnny! John passed away peacefully, on December 16, 2007, at the Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, with Doyne at his side. John was preceded in death by his parents, a dear sister, Betty (Hummel) Banning, and his special granddaughter, Lydia. Left to cherish his memory are Doyne, his wife of sixty-two years; daughters, Candy and Shelley; sons-in-law, Charlie Mayer and Phil Dosmann; five grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. Also surviving are a brother, Dean Hummel and his wife Elayne, sister, Mary Lou Ayres and her husband Dick; brother-in-law George Banning; many wonderful nieces and nephews, and a host of other relatives and dear old friends.