John E. Farmer

.FARMER, JOHN E., age 80, of Birmingham, died Monday morning April 12, 2010. He was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma on January 13, 1930 to Percy Farmer and Mary Davison Farmer. John was a U.S. Air Force Veteran who served his country in the Korean Conflict. He and his wife, Delene, joined Valleydale Baptist Church shortly after they moved to Birmingham in 1987. In 1994, he retired with 45 years of service at AT&T, where he was active in the Telephone Pioneers. An avid deer hunter, fisherman, and LSU football fan, John was a former member of the Alabama Woodworkers Guild. In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his brother, William Farmer. Survivors include John's wife, Delene Ferguson Farmer; three daughters, Susan Farmer Polk of Brandon, Mississippi, Janice Farmer Lazarre of Pelham, and Lisa Farmer Mitcham (David) of Shreveport, Louisiana; two step-sons, Ron Shaver (Becky) of Toccoa, Georgia, and Rob Shaver of Pelham; nine grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and one sister, Nettie Green of Vidalia, Louisiana. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at Ridout's Southern Heritage Funeral Home in Pelham. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. the same day in Southern Heritage Chapel, Pelham, and the graveside service will be later that afternoon at 2:45 p.m. at Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the American Cancer Society or Valleydale Church.