John Wesley Voth

John Wesley Voth passed away on August 28, 2025, with his family present. John was born on October 4, 1929, in the small town of Mountain Lake, Minnesota. He was raised on a farm with his brothers. As a young child John was independent and loved to run off to visit the neighbors. To keep him close by, his mother would sometimes tie him to the clothesline, and little John’s solution was to take off his clothes, allowing him to escape and visit people. A profound change occurred when John’s dad passed away when he was only 12. This made school challenging as John and his family traveled across the West to allow his dad to say goodbye to his family. The farm was sold and he and his mom moved into town and struggled to survive. John was able to finish high school by living with Erv and Jennie, his older brother and wife. John then attended junior college and with decent grades he found a path to the University of Minnesota. There, he met Marjorie Skog, his wife-to-be. John realized that if he wanted to date Marge, he needed to meet her at the library and study, which helped him improve his grades. John then decided to become a minister, and the poor farm boy found his way to Princeton University where he was given a full ride for a master’s degree. John married Marge in 1954, and they raised three children. John served in several Midwestern Presbyterian churches. On many Sunday afternoons, he loved to visit his parishioners, especially those living on farms. In the early 1970s, John completed training as a hospital chaplain in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1973, John and Marge moved their family to Arizona to live near John’s brothers. John found employment as a chaplain for the Arizona State prison. In later years John also sold real estate. He helped support several reservation churches and had a special connection with the Native American church leaders. John was an avid outdoorsman who loved to camp, hunt and fish, especially with his precious beagles. He loved working with his hands, making fishing sinkers and hunting ammunition with his “No. 1” son Shaun, tending to his treasured rose bushes, and building model airplanes and battleships. He was a lifelong reader and was always learning something new. In retirement, John and Marge loved to travel. They visited many places overseas and took numerous trips in the U.S. and Canada in their much-loved RV. John is survived by his children, Sheree Perry, Shaun and Sheila Voth, along with his grandchildren, Nick and Jake Perry. He was preceded in death by his wife Marjorie Voth, and brothers, Franklin, Edwin, Erwin and Harvey Voth. On 9/23/25, with his immediate family present his ashes will be interned next to his beloved Margie at Valley of the Sun Cemetery.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.valleyofthesunfuneralhome.com for the Voth family.

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