John A. Miner

John A. Miner, 71, of Ottawa, passed away Saturday, March 21, 2009 at Ottawa Regional Hospital and Healthcare Center. Funeral services honoring his life will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday at Gladfelter Funeral Home with Reverend Gerald Meyer officiating. Cremation rites will be accorded. Interment will be in Ladd Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. John was born March 31, 1937 at Ottawa, Illinois, a son of George and Berenice Johnson Miner. He married Denise A. Buff March 26, 1971 at Morris, Illinois. His wife, Denise; daughters, Laura Miner and Barbara Gay; grandsons, Danny and Todd Gay; great-grandchildren Arwen and Talon Gay; a brother, Robert Miner and a sister Lois Smith survive him. A sister, Mary Ellen Jensen, preceded him in death. John owned and operated the Flamingo Lounge, A & M Liquor Store and the LaSalle Hotel for over twenty years. He was later employed as a quality control inspector for nuclear power plants and steel mills in the Eastern half of the United States. John was a member of the Elk's Lodge for forty-one years and the Moose Lodge for seventeen years. In his free time, John enjoyed playing cards, fishing and crossword puzzles. He dearly loved teasing and having fun with people. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis of Assisi Church or the American Cancer Society.