John
Drury, 70Thief River Falls - John Drury, 70, died Thursday, April 9, 1998 at Dakota Heartland Hospital in Fargo, ND.
Mass of Christian burial was held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Thief River Falls with Father Dennis Wieland officiating. Carol Amundson was the organist, and special music was provided by the Resurrection Choir and Robert Hanneman. Casketbearers were David Hanneman, Robert Hanneman, James Olson, Tim Tweiten, Tom Tweiten and Russ Tweiten. Honorary casketbearers included John's ASCS co-workers, former baseball and softball teammates and the congregation of St. Bernard's Catholic Church. Military honors were accorded by the American Legion and VFW posts of Thief River Falls. Burial was in St. Bernard's Catholic Cemetery. The Green Funeral Home of Thief River Falls was in charge of the arrangements.
John Anthony Drury was born December 3, 1927 in Fargo, ND, the son of Michael and Catherine (Coleman) Drury. He was baptized on March 18, 1928 at St. Rose Catholic Church in Glyndon. John attended St. Joseph Catholic School and graduated from Moorhead High School in 1945.
After high school, he served in the U.S. Marines and was stationed in China for a time. Following his military discharge, he was employed in Moorhead at Fairmont Creamery while attending Moorhead State College. He then attended the Wahpeton School of Science where he excelled in basketball, baseball and football. John graduated from Wahpeton School of Science in 1950 and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame there in 1983.
On June 3, 1953 John was united in marriage to Shirley Thomas at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Moorhead. The couple lived in Clinton from 1953 to 1956 and in Willmar from 1956 to 1957. They moved to Thief River Falls in 1957 and to St. Hilaire in 1964. Shirley died on March 27, 1984. On May 10, 1985 John was married to Myrtle Marks.
He worked for the ASCS office in Willmar and Thief River Falls for 31 years, retiring in 1983. He also worked as a bartender at the St. Hilaire Liquor Store, the VFW and American Legion in Thief River Falls.
John spent many hours making clocks, shelves and other wood items of his own design. He was very active in sports, playing baseball for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins, Moorhead Chix, Thief River Falls Bums and Thieves, and fast pitch and slow pitch softball. He officiated at high school basketball and football games well into his sixties.
He was a member of St. Bernard's Catholic Church, the American Legion, Eagles, Knights of Columbus, Lions and was a lifetime member of the VFW and Cooties.
John is survived by his wife, Myrtle of Thief River Falls; eight children, Mike (Susan) Drury of Thief River Falls, Stephen Drury of St. Hilaire, Mark (Linda) Drury of St. Hilaire, Thomas (Brenda) Drury of Norfolk, VA, Jane (fiance Mike Antonson) of Hope, ND, Terri (fiance Dave Dabney) Drury of Independence, MO, Diane (Randy) Berg of Thief River Falls and Jana Drury of St. Hilaire; 13 grandchildren; three stepchildren, Jacqueline (Devere) Chapman of Newfolden, Jerry Marks of Glenwood and Jewel (Richard) Holen of Goodridge; seven stepgrandchildren; two brothers, James of Moorhead and Thomas (Karla) of Albuquerque, NM; three sisters, Mary (Edmund) Olson of Moorhead, Murial (Charles) Peterson of Albuquerque, NM and Kathleen Tweiten of Fargo, ND; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Shirley; an infant daughter, Mary Catherine; his parents; two sisters, Margaret Sullivan and Shirley Engh; and one sister-in-law.