John Sumner Jr.

John Sumner Jr. was born January 1, 1928 on the Norton Ranch south of Alamosa, CO. to John Western Sumner and Leona Marie Sharp. Being as there were so many Johns in the family, he was called Jack. He was born the youngest of six children.

Jack does not know when they moved to the small community of Morgan, but he does know he lived there until he was in the second grade. He remembers that he and his four older siblings walked three miles to and from school in below-zero temperatures. He wondered, many times since then, how they escaped getting frost bite. He attributes it to the watchful eye of Jesus. He started dancing when he was just a little boy. His mother and father were in the community band. His parents would play for the dances on weekends and he would fall asleep and they would pick him up and take him home when the dance was over.

Jack’s parents were baptized into The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints when he was four years old. From that day forward, his mother was very devoted to the Lord and to teaching her children the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He remembers one cold, Sunday morning with snow on the ground. His dad hitched up the old mare to a handmade sled. When they arrived in Morgan some dogs ran out and startled the horse and his mother lost control of the sled. The mare ran away and scattered the children all the way to the church building. Some of the brethren ran out and caught the horse, so they did have a ride home from church.

One of his favorite memories growing up was the Winter of 1938/39 Erby Cooper brought some burros to pasture at their place and told the boys they could ride them all they wanted. His brother Harold and a friend and Jack had the greatest time of their young lives. After several trials of being bucked off, kicked, bit, stepped on and getting a bruised tailbone, they each settled on a special one. He said that was undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable times of his childhood.

The Second World War changed all their lives. His older brothers joined the Marines and the Army, but he was too young to join. During this time he worked for a few ranchers and loved taking the cattle to the mountain ranges for summer and then gathering them up and bringing them down in the fall. In January 1951 he joined the United States Air Force just ahead of the draft. The Air Force turned into a career for him and he served twenty-four very pleasant years.

He had basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas on 9 February 1951. From there he was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Houston, TX. Where he commenced medical training. He received his permanent assignment to the 140th Medical Group at Buckley Field in Denver.

He had a temporary assignment with the Fighter Bomber Group to Eglin AFB Florida for gunnery training and to furnish medical support. They rescued a pilot that crashed his F51. This was all in preparation for the Wing being reassigned to Hahn AFB in Germany.

One Summer he and another airman took leave and went to Berlin. This was a move that proved to change his life forever. While there he met a German girl, Christa Sydow, whom he married. At the time of their marriage Christa had a little boy, Ingo, who was eighteen months old. Jack adopted Ingo. Shortly after that, he reenlisted and was transferred to Neuberg AB at Munich, Germany. They spent 2 years there. While stationed there he changed his job to Medical Administration and had a son, John Anthony.

He was next reassigned to Maxwell AFB in Alabama. From here on out, he was either assigned to the southern states of the USA or oversees. His son, Allen Warren, was born He was sent to Administrative Supervisor School.

They were assigned to Wethersfield AB in England. In this assignment he received his first taste of being Sgt. Major of a hospital. He loved England and felt at home. They spent four years there.

In May, 1963 he was reassigned to MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL. They spent six years there. While there he purchased 23 acres of land by Brooksville, FL, which was a very good financial move.

In March of 1969 he was assigned to Clark AB in the Philippines where he stayed for 3 years. He got assigned as Hospital Sgt. Major of the 9th Aeromedical Evacuation Gp. While there he got to visit all of the units under their command. That included about six in Viet Nam, one in each of Okinawa, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan. Being able to visit all of these areas was very enjoyable. He got to fly with the Army over Viet Nam, flew a C130 over Thailand, played golf in Okanawa, flew in a China Air Line old C154 from Taipay to Taichung. The greatest event he had there was the birth of a baby girl, Natalie Mary Sumner. She became the apple of her daddy’s eye.

As he was scheduled for an isolated tour on his next assignment, and with Natalie being so little, he decided it was time to retire as Master Sergeant on September 1, 1973.

He worked for the US Postal service and hated the disorganization. He quit that job and bought a Shoe Repair Business. He also opened a Western Wear Store that was called Jack’s Boots and Saddle Repair. This was something he could identify with and was very successful. They loved to dance and he loved horses.

He had bought some property in Bayfield, Colorado in 1985. Jack, Anthony, and Allen headed to Colorado in 1990 to build Jack’s dream house. They started building a beautiful log home on the hillside surrounded by five acres of Ponderosa Pine and Oak brush. Also residing on the property were deer, elk, turkeys, coyotes, and a bobcat. Jack and Anthony returned to Florida for the winter while Allen stayed in Durango until December.

Jack and Christa sold the business. They came back to Bayfield and he and Allen finished the house. Christa died in an automobile accident 26 Nov. 1994.

Jack started attending the Singles Group at church and really enjoyed his time with them. That is where he met his darling wife, Shirley. He felt like she was the greatest thing that ever happened to him. They were married in the Manti Temple 21 October 1995. They have been extremely happy.

They spent the first two years of their marriage on a mission to Silverton, CO, while still living in their home. They were then called on a full time mission to the Albania, Tirana Mission. They were assigned to the Mission Home where Jack took care of all the finances (They didn’t have much of a banking system so he did everything by walking or taking a cab), missionary apartment inspections, and was a Branch President. They were there for only six months and all the missionaries were evacuated. From there they were sent to the Austria, Vienna Mission where they served 1 ½ years. They were again assigned to the Mission Home. Shirley took care of the finances and Jack took care of missionary apartments, inventory, fleet car purchases, and law suits.

Upon returning from their missions they have thoroughly enjoyed their lives together. They loved dancing, riding horses, and trying to visit all the temples in the U.S, but soon there were too many. They visited at least 30 different temples, and worked several years in two of them.

They loved going on month-long road trips. Their favorite city in the US is St. Augustine, FL.

The loved the white sandy beaches of the east coast and the rocky tide pools of the west coast. They visited friends who live in Mexico, and the Canadian side of Niagra Falls. They went to Belize with Clay & Michelle’s family. This was one of their favorites. They started flying more in their later years.

Jack loved serving the Lord and had many callings: Sunday School Teacher, Home Teacher, Ward Missionary, Records Clerk, Councilor to Branch President, Branch President, Advisor to the Stake Single Adults, and Temple Worker in the Monticello, UT Temple, and the Fort Collins Colorado Temple.

Although he was a quiet man, Jack loved his wife, his children and his grandchildren. He was a great man of integrity, kindness, serving others, and a true gentleman. He was honest to a tee and if he told you something you knew it was true. He could be trusted.

He loved visiting family in Florida and Tennessee, relatives in Utah, and Colorado. He loved gardening, horses, and wood working. He built the beautiful doors in his log home, plus most of the living room furniture. He golfed and played Chess. He absolutely loved riding horses and he and Natalie showed horses in Florida. One of his and Shirley’s favorite riding adventures was riding mules down to the bottom of Bryce Canyon in Utah. He loved the outdoors and they would get wood in the fall, and cut down their own Christmas trees. They loved going four wheeling, Dutch-Oven cooking, and inviting friends over to play games.

We will miss him terribly

Jack passed away November 28, 2022. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his wife, daughter, step-daughter, step-son, grandchildren, and sons-in-laws. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Leona; His siblings John Western (who died at birth), Marie, Bud, Harold, and Geraldine. Jack was survived by his wife, Shirley, daughter, Natalie (Karl), sons; John, Anthony (Kristi), Allen, step-daughters, Corina (Michael), Michelle (Clay), and two that Shirley was legal guardian to: Olivia, Ophelia. Step-sons Kenneth (Suzanne), and three that Shirley was legal guardian to: Gary, Harry (JR) & Harold (Shawn). Grandchildren: Teresa Sumner (Dan Hinote), John Anthony Sumner (Erica), Lesley Reedey (Kelly), Kirk VerStraten, Makayla Dempsey (Jamie), Emily Phillips, Bryce Phillips, Lilly Phillips, Tyler Phillips, Cody Phillips, Morgan Erickson, Hunter Erickson, Dawson Erickson, (Step Children that Shirley was Legal Guardian to) Ridge Benally, Max Benally, Leala Benally, Charlie Benally, Ben Smith, Lilly Smith, , Hayden Kinney, Aleah Kinney, Jaiden Smith, Olyssa Smith and Kaleb Atcitty. Great Grand Children; Emma Grace Sumner, Zoey Gerstel, and Blake Dempsey (who was just a few days old when Jack passed).

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