John Henry Bernhard was born March 22, 1924 on the home place "half a mile south of the church at Giard," as he always referred to it. He was the first child of his parents, Byron Christopher and Emma Louise (Hartke) Bernhard. Three sisters followed. As a child he had 12 imaginary friends,"his boys," with whom he played, perhaps because he had no brothers.
He attended the Giard School, and graduated from Monona High School in 1942. He never wanted to be anything but a farmer. On March 2, 1946, he married Jeanette Louise Darnell, at the McGregor Methodist Church. Her parents owned the Mallard Cafe in McGregor, and the young couple often had to wash dishes before they could go on dates. They were sweethearts until her death on October 30, 2012.
John loved farming; he loved working the land and seeing the crops grown. On the hilly northeastern Iowa ground, he practiced terracing and crop rotation. He was actively involved in the Farm Bureau. He loved his animals: Holstein dairy cows (until 1970 when he sold the herd), cow-calf beef operation, hogs (at one time registered Tamworth hogs--with which he won some awards), and sometimes sheep, chickens, and moscovi ducks (which were butchered and served as the best holiday main course). He won the Clayton County Beef Producer's Award, which was one of his most treasured awards.
Self-educated, he loved to talk to people: he could talk to anyone about anything. He and Jeanette traveled around the United States, and loved to meet people. John would talk to them about what they did and share about his farming in Iowa.
After "retiring" to Monona in 1985, he continued to go to the farm and help son, Doug, who was then running the farm. But in town, he could attend all of the school functions of his grandchildren, which he loved to do. He adored all of his children and grandchildren and always let them know how proud he was of them.
He attended the Giard School, and graduated from Monona High School in 1942. He never wanted to be anything but a farmer. On March 2, 1946, he married Jeanette Louise Darnell, at the McGregor Methodist Church. Her parents owned the Mallard Cafe in McGregor, and the young couple often had to wash dishes before they could go on dates. They were sweethearts until her death on October 30, 2012.
John loved farming; he loved working the land and seeing the crops grown. On the hilly northeastern Iowa ground, he practiced terracing and crop rotation. He was actively involved in the Farm Bureau. He loved his animals: Holstein dairy cows (until 1970 when he sold the herd), cow-calf beef operation, hogs (at one time registered Tamworth hogs--with which he won some awards), and sometimes sheep, chickens, and moscovi ducks (which were butchered and served as the best holiday main course). He won the Clayton County Beef Producer's Award, which was one of his most treasured awards.
Self-educated, he loved to talk to people: he could talk to anyone about anything. He and Jeanette traveled around the United States, and loved to meet people. John would talk to them about what they did and share about his farming in Iowa.
After "retiring" to Monona in 1985, he continued to go to the farm and help son, Doug, who was then running the farm. But in town, he could attend all of the school functions of his grandchildren, which he loved to do. He adored all of his children and grandchildren and always let them know how proud he was of them.
John Henry Bernhard was born March 22, 1924 on the home place "half a mile south of the church at Giard," as he always referred to it. He was the first child of his parents, Byron Christopher and Emma Louise (Hartke) Bernhard. Three sisters followed. As a child he had 12 imaginary friends,"his boys," with whom he played, perhaps because he had no brothers.
He attended the Giard School, and graduated from Monona High School in 1942. He never wanted to be anything but a farmer. On March 2, 1946, he married Jeanette Louise Darnell, at the McGregor Methodist Church. Her parents owned the Mallard Cafe in McGregor, and the young couple often had to wash dishes before they could go on dates. They were sweethearts until her death on October 30, 2012.
John loved farming; he loved working the land and seeing the crops grown. On the hilly northeastern Iowa ground, he practiced terracing and crop rotation. He was actively involved in the Farm Bureau. He loved his animals: Holstein dairy cows (until 1970 when he sold the herd), cow-calf beef operation, hogs (at one time registered Tamworth hogs--with which he won some awards), and sometimes sheep, chickens, and moscovi ducks (which were butchered and served as the best holiday main course). He won the Clayton County Beef Producer's Award, which was one of his most treasured awards.
Self-educated, he loved to talk to people: he could talk to anyone about anything. He and Jeanette traveled around the United States, and loved to meet people. John would talk to them about what they did and share about his farming in Iowa.
After "retiring" to Monona in 1985, he continued to go to the farm and help son, Doug, who was then running the farm. But in town, he could attend all of the school functions of his grandchildren, which he loved to do. He adored all of his children and grandchildren and always let them know how proud he was of them.
He attended the Giard School, and graduated from Monona High School in 1942. He never wanted to be anything but a farmer. On March 2, 1946, he married Jeanette Louise Darnell, at the McGregor Methodist Church. Her parents owned the Mallard Cafe in McGregor, and the young couple often had to wash dishes before they could go on dates. They were sweethearts until her death on October 30, 2012.
John loved farming; he loved working the land and seeing the crops grown. On the hilly northeastern Iowa ground, he practiced terracing and crop rotation. He was actively involved in the Farm Bureau. He loved his animals: Holstein dairy cows (until 1970 when he sold the herd), cow-calf beef operation, hogs (at one time registered Tamworth hogs--with which he won some awards), and sometimes sheep, chickens, and moscovi ducks (which were butchered and served as the best holiday main course). He won the Clayton County Beef Producer's Award, which was one of his most treasured awards.
Self-educated, he loved to talk to people: he could talk to anyone about anything. He and Jeanette traveled around the United States, and loved to meet people. John would talk to them about what they did and share about his farming in Iowa.
After "retiring" to Monona in 1985, he continued to go to the farm and help son, Doug, who was then running the farm. But in town, he could attend all of the school functions of his grandchildren, which he loved to do. He adored all of his children and grandchildren and always let them know how proud he was of them.
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