John B. Elmer, age 81, of Wells, died Friday, June 18, 2004, at The Shepherd’s Inn in Wells.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 21, at the United Methodist Church in Wells. The Rev. Meg Sander will officiate. Visitation will be held at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells from 2 to 5 p.m. today, and one hour prior to services on Monday at the church. Interment will be in

Rosehill Cemetery in Wells with Military Honors by the Wells Color Guard.

John Byron Elmer was born on Jan. 6, 1923, the son of Henry E. and Ethel (Hughes) Elmer in Wells. He graduated from Wells High School and attended the University of Minnesota.He married Norma Nichols on Aug. 8, 1942, in Mankato. He worked at Cegla Hardware, then served in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in the South Pacific from 1943-1946. After the service he worked for Dell Segar at the Mobil Station in Wells. He then worked as a body man at Thompson Ford and Larson Ford. In 1974 he started Elmer’s Body Shop with his son David, retiring in 2000.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Wells and held several offices on the church board. He also served on the Rosehill Cemetery Board for 15 years and was a member of the Wells American Legion for 58 years. John was a member of the Oddfellows Lodge and was a former assistant scoutmaster and leader of the Explorers and liked to fish and hunt. He loved gardening, feeding the birds, and especially loved his grand and great-grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Norma of Wells; two sons: William (wife Peg) Elmer of Puyallup, Wash., and David (wife Jan) Elmer of Wells; one daughter, Sharon (husband Dale) Lacher of Wells; six grandchildren: Jennifer (husband Mike) Miller, Kristine Elmer, Mark (wife Michelle) Lacher, Craig Lacher, Tom (wife Jessi) Elmer, and Chad Elmer (fiancee Katie Otterson); 11 great-grand children; one brother, Robert (wife Laura) Elmer of Wells; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters: Elizabeth Curtis and Margaret Hochreiter; sister-in-law, Deloris Elmer; and four brothers-in-law: Vern and Floyd Nichols, Melvin Curtis, and Albert Hochreiter.