His father was in the Navy and when John was 6, his father settled the family on a small acreage, just outside of city limits, on Coit Road in Council Bluffs, Iowa. John lived the rest of his childhood in Council Bluffs and made it his home as an adult. John was an avid fan of pretty much all things in nature and the outdoors, especially dogs. When he was a young boy living on the acreage, John helped his dad raise sheep, where his love for all creatures began.
There wasn't a single one of God's creatures that John didn't care for. From the birds that fly above us to the snakes that slither below our feet. He made sure the birds had suet hanging in the trees and bird seed in the feeders.
The squirrels had corn. The stray so he said cats had food and water. The deer had corn and salt blocks. He even made sure the raccoons got their fair share of sustenance. During his childhood, John was very active in the Boy Scouts of America.
During this time, he earned 29 merit badges, held the scout lifeguard award, was a member of the order of arrow and attended 5 summer camps. He earned the highest attainable rank of Eagle Scout in July of John was a man of many talents. He used to say, "I know a little bit about a lot of things. He worked as a photographer for a brief time.
From , he worked as a banquet staff member for a large hotel in Omaha, NE, where in , he met Donna Zpevak, who many years later, he married and had a family with. From there he went to work for American Plastics as a warehouse manager for several years. In , when he decided to marry and start a family, he applied for a job with the United States Postal Service. John passed on a couple of assignments with the post office, holding out for a Letter Carrier assignment.
