Statler Family Obituaries
Lorberg, John W.
John W. Lorberg, 75 of Gordonville, passed away Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.
He was born September 13, 1937, in Gordonville, son of Walter and Edna Sander Lorberg. He and Ellen Birk were married December 9, 1962 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston. She survives.
John attended Gordonville grade school and was a 1955 graduate of Jackson High School, and joined the U.S. National Guard the same year. In 1960, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in education from the former Southeast Missouri State College.
He was a life-long member of Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville, where he was a church elder, Sunday school superintendant, and held various positions on committees and boards. John was an innovative farmer, farming the Century farms for the Lorberg and Birk families in Gordonville and Tilsit area. He and his son and grandson created the JJT Tileing Company which specializes in crop irrigation.
He was a member of the Jackson R-II School Board 13 years, the Jackson R-II Foundation Board, the Advisory Board for the Gordonville Fire Department, the Advisory Agriculture Board at SEMO, the Gibson Center Board in Cape Girardeau, and Gideons International Cape Camp. He was instrumental in founding the St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad in Jackson, and the local Civil War re-enactments. He was a strong supporter of Heart for Africa and Dig Deep Water Wells, and an advocate of the Amen Center homeless shelter in Delta, MO.
In addition to his wife of 50 years, loving survivors include; a son, Jeffrey (De Ann) Lorberg of Gordonville; a daughter, Sarah (Todd) Schumacher of St. Louis; four grandchildren, Leah Lorberg, Tyler (Katie) Lorberg, Laramie Lorberg, and Logan Schumacher; a brother, Jerry (Barbara) Lorberg of Gordonville; two sisters, Joan (Joe) Battle of Gordonville, Janet (Leonard) Fiedler of Shawneetown, MO; two aunts, Ruth (Harvey) Nischwitz of Gordonville, Blanche Schafer of Fayette, MO; an uncle, Ralph (Jean) Sander of Denver, CO.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Friends may call Thursday, April 11, 2013 from 3:30 until 8:00 PM at the Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville, and Friday, from 9:00 AM until service time at the church. The funeral service will be Friday at 10:00 AM, at the church, with the Rev. Gary Hoffstetter officiating, with Rev. Jim Matthews performing the graveside committal service.
Interment will follow in the church cemetery in Gordonville.
Memorials may take the form of contributions to Christ Lutheran Church Building Fund, The Amen Center Homeless Shelter, P.O. Box 159, Delta, MO, or Heart for Africa.
Printed in the Tuesday, April 9, 2013 edition of the Southeast Missourian Newspaper, Cape Girardeau, MO.
©2013 by David Statler of StatlerWeb