John Coleman

John T. Coleman, 89, of Marshalltown, Iowa, passed away peacefully on the morning of January 3, 2022, surrounded by his family at the Iowa Veteran’s Home.Services for John will be held on Monday, January 10, 2022, beginning at 11:00 A.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. A visitation for family and friends will be held at 10:00 A.M., prior to services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to either Iowa Veterans Home Cashiers Office (which will go into a memorial donation fund, please designate in memory of John Coleman) or the Food Bank of Iowa.  For additional information or to send a condolence please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for John and his family. John Thomas Coleman was born August 12,1932, in Orchard, Iowa to Charles and Mina (Ostrander) Coleman. He was the only son of five children. He attended school in Guthrie Center, Iowa and graduated in the class of 1949. Following high school, John started working as a Lineman for Iowa Power and Light in Guthrie Center from 1949-1953. In February 1953, John was called to serve his country in the United States Army during the Korean War Conflict. He was stationed in Japan where he was a Radar Mechanic.  During his service, John was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal and served honorably until 1955 when he was discharged and returned to Iowa. Upon his discharge, he resumed his work as a Lineman for Iowa Electric Light and Power in Boone, Iowa, a career that he took great pride in and thoroughly enjoyed.  On June 1, 1958, John was united in marriage to the love of his life, Mary Quillen, in Boone. They were inseparable throughout their 63 years of marriage. Together they began a family of their own and called Boone home from the time they were married until 1970. In 1970, John and Mary moved their family to Marshalltown where he continued working for Iowa Electric, first as a Safety Supervisor and then a Truckdriver/Materials Coordinator. He worked faithfully for 40 years at Iowa Electric until his retirement in 1992. Through his work and military service, John was a member of the American Motorcycle Association, IBEW, Toastmasters International, the VFW, and Central Christian Church in Marshalltown. John was very friendly, outgoing, and never met a stranger.  He was a known jokester and always had a funny story to tell.  His motto was to never lose one’s sense of humor.  Early in their marriage, John and Mary enjoyed taking motorcycle trips with their friends.  After his retirement, John organized retiree breakfast groups for Iowa Electric and met almost daily with friends for coffee at Hy-Vee. He was a wonderful, doting Grandpa and attended all of his grandchildren’s many activities. John had a kind heart and was always willing to help others.  He was a faithful blood donor, and he and Mary volunteered for over 15 years for Meals on Wheels, and at the Marshalltown Emergency Food Box. Those left to remember and cherish his memory are his wife of 63 years, Mary; his children, Joni (Steve) Nicoll and James (Tina) Coleman; his grandchildren, Alison (Alex) Fitzgerald, Alex (Christen) Nicoll, McKenna Coleman, and Kaelyn Coleman; his sister, Dorothy Rutherford; his brother-in-law, Paul McCool; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Mina Coleman; and his sisters Mary Lou Coleman, Doris McCool, and Evelyn Downing.