John Brandes, at 109 the oldest Monroe County resident and known as "Iron Man John" for his longevity, who died at 1:20 a.m. Saturday at the Lutheran Home in Monroe.

He lived at the home for more than three years and was under the care of Hospice at his death.

Mr. Brandes, who had been in declining health for the past year, died peacefully in his sleep. His longtime friend, Kevin Otter of New Boston, visited him Friday morning after being out of town for a few days.

"He didn't go to chapel like he usually did," Mr. Otter, the organist at the home, said Sunday. "He was non-responsive. He had a sense of humor right to the end. I don't think he could see, but he said to me ‘I'm glad to see you.' "

It was time for him "to go to the Lord," said Janet (John) Voorheis of Waterford, one of his two daughters. "It took so much out of him. He's just gradually been going down."

Born Jan. 25, 1898, he lived in three different centuries, but never strayed far from his roots. The son of Louis and Teresa (Bordt) Brandes, he was born on a Carleton farm that is today the site of the Guardian Glass Corp. factory.

When he was six years old, he moved to a farm at the corner of Clark and Willow Rds. in Huron Township, where he learned his trade as a farmer. There he attended St. John Lutheran School and rode a horse to class. He grew corn and soybeans, enjoyed threshing grain during the summer and raised steers and 40 head of holsteins that he milked twice a day.

After retiring from farming in 1959, he sold the farm to Mr. Otter's family, who still runs it, and entered politics.

A former Huron Township supervisor for six years, he was instrumental in getting Detroit city water for residents and helped get the township out of red ink. He started in politics serving on the board of review and as clerk. When he became supervisor, the township was $25,000 in debt. When he left office after three terms, the township had $125,000 in the bank. Brandes Rd. in the township is named after him.

He drove his tractor until he was 103. He enjoyed sweet corn, applesauce, pecan pie and butter and loved to have his back scratched, his friends and family said.

He enjoyed going to the Monroe County Fair to watch the tractor pulls and take part in the Senior Citizens Day activities. James B. Miller, master of ceremonies for the senior awards program, gave him the "Iron Man" label when he won an amazing string of six straight trophies from 2000 to 2005 as the oldest man present at the fair. He missed last year's ceremony because he didn't feel good, Mr. Otter, 49, said.

"He was very tired that day, but he was with it most of the time," his friend said. "I can't be sad. He's always been there. He was 60 when I was born. He always said a strong faith in God and hard work would keep him going."

Mr. Brandes devoted much time to the church and community, serving as director of the one-room Willow School on Willow Rd.

He drove a Buick until he was 102, when the family finally had to take the car away. Although he never had an accident, the family believed everyone would be safer if he stopped driving, his other daughter, Marlene (Don) Klingensmith of Colleyville, Texas, said.

"He didn't like that at all," Mrs. Klingensmith said Sunday. Before that, she kidded "we were warning people to stay home - Dad was driving."

Mrs. Voorheis said her father was thankful for his good health and his life centered around the church.

"He thanked the Lord that he remained active and healthy for so many years," she said. "He said ‘God is taking care of me.' "

At St. John Lutheran Church, he held many offices, including chairman, deacon and elder. Long before he became a resident at the Lutheran Home, he was active in raising funds for the home.

In the winter months before he went to the Lutheran Home, he stayed in Florida and attended Peace Lutheran Church in Bradenton for 40 years.

Gene Swatek of Carleton, a friend who spent time listening to Mr. Brandes talk about the "old days," said people would always ask the centenarian what's the secret of a long life. His reply: hard work, clean living and good food.

"He took pride in the hard work he did on his farm," Mr. Swatek said. "His faith in God was as strong as any I've ever seen. For most of his life he led a healthy lifestyle of home-cooked, home-grown food. He never took his life for granted; he thanked God every day for what he had. He put his life in God's hands."

Mr. Brandes loved to hunt, either on his farm or in northern Michigan.

"He once told me how, during deer season, he would work non-stop on the farm to get the harvest in so he could get up north to hunt deer," Mr. Swatek said.

Mr. Brandes kept a garden until he was 103.

"He was amazing," Mr. Swatek said. "And the entire time he still had his mind, read the daily paper and went to church."

Mr. Swatek's wife, Bonnie, a nurse at the Lutheran Home, said many of the certified nursing assistants would tell her they enjoyed spending time with Mr. Brandes because he was "always gentle, kind and so appreciative of any act of compassion," whether it was holding his hand or rubbing his back.

"That was just the type of person he was … and it didn't change with age," Mrs. Swatek said.

The home hosted a 109th birthday party for him in January, but he stayed only for a short time because he got tired, Mrs. Klingensmith said.

Her father married four times. His first wife, Nellie Ernst, died in 1924. The other wives and the year they died were Cora Hicks in 1956; Mabel Murphy, 1975, and Ivedell Eckholtz, 1999. Cora was the mother of his two daughters.

In addition to his two daughters, he is survived by five grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; stepchildren; step-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Also preceding him in death were two infant daughters; three sisters, Lillie Spiecker, Minnie Krzyske and Rikie Roehrig, and a granddaughter.

It is not known where Mr. Brandes ranked in terms of being the oldest person in the state.