John E. "Jack" Church
May 14, 1927 -
Mar 9, 2021
John "Jack" Church, age 93, passed away on March 9, 2021, in Vader, Wash. Jack was born on May 14, 1927, in Mountain, Wis., to John and Julia Church. The family moved to Alaska in 1935, as part of the Matanuska Valley Colonization Project. Jack attended Fairview school for second grade, then to Wasilla School in 1936 where he attended through graduation. Jack worked for local farmers until age 17, when he started working for the Mat-Su Co-op maintenance crew making concrete blocks by hand. At 18 years old, Jack started working for the Alaska Railroad at Matanuska Section. In 1945, Jack was drafted into the Army as a truck driver for troop transport, fire truck operator, supply officer and Acting Sargent, training new recruits to the 761st Military Police Battalion. He was a barber - although his four sons often questioned that ability - and finally recruited to the Discharge Office, where he processed his own discharge papers.
After the military, Jack returned to the Alaska Railroad working in the Anchorage Car Shop and Scrap Yard. In 1947, he was assigned to the Anchorage Section earning 91 1/2 cents per hour.
Jack married Marjorie Peterson in 1947, where they both worked the Julius and Dome Sections. He then transferred to the Matanuska Section, where they built their home. The little brown house is still standing across from where the gravel trains are loaded on the Glenn Highway outside of Palmer. There they welcomed four sons. The family moved to the Whitney Section in Anchorage in 1957, where they added a daughter to the tribe. In 1964, the family moved to Mt .View in Anchorage and another daughter was added in 1967.
Jack worked multiple job titles throughout his railroad career. He was promoted to General Road Master and Superintendent of Tracks in 1961, and had great stories and many pictures of the chaos caused by the 1964 earthquake. Jack retired in 1973.
Several years after retirement, Jack and Margie moved to a small farm in Salem, Ore., where they lived for five years. They moved to Onalaska, Wash., on May 18, 1980, the day of Mt. St. Helen's eruption. They lived there for the remainder of their lives. All through their retirement years, Jack and Margie traveled throughout the United States visiting and finding long past relatives, collecting history of the Church and Peterson ancestry. They drove to Alaska every summer to spend time with their children and grandchildren. Never one to interrupt a project, Jack enjoyed helping out while visiting by fixing things, remodeling, painting and helping with whatever needed to be done. His handiwork can be found all across America.
Jack was an old school husband, father, farmer, "do-it-yourself with what you have to work with" kind of guy. In addition, he took his big brother role seriously, keeping his brothers and sisters close and up to date on family matters.
Margie died in 2000, after 53 years of a happy and successful marriage. Jack married Orfa Bolton (Plumley) in 2001. They too shared many travels and adventures until Orfa's passing in 2014.
Jack was the oldest of seven children. He is survived by his brothers, Donald (Billie) Church of Henderson, Texas, and Bill (Ruby) Church of Wasilla, Alaska; sisters, Rose Feltz of Anchorage and Alice Caputo of Dry Tavern, Pa. He was preceded in death by his brother, Edwin Church of Copper Center, Alaska; and sister, Loraine Lindberg of Salem.
Jack is survived by his sons, George (Debbie) Church of Wasilla, Dan Church of Renton, Wash., and David (Michelle) Church of Palmer; daughters, Julie Steele of Onalaska and Judy (Ken) Towner of Pe Ell, Wash.; as well as 12 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his oldest son, John H. Church of Rochester, Wash.
Many thanks to the staff of Clarks Country Haven Family Home for their kind and caring support of Jack and the rest of the family. A graveside service will be held at the Doss Cemetery in Mossyrock, Wash., on March 31, 2021, at 11 a.m.
