John Fernandez
The Mass of Christian Burial for John Fernandez will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The Rev. Darren Henson will be the celebrant. Burial, with graveside services conducted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Lowry-Funston Post 1980 and American Legion Ball-McColm Post 5, will be in Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery. The prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Monday at the church, after which the family will meet friends.
Memorial contributions to Hand in Hand Hospice or the Emporia Friends of the Zoo may be sent in care of the Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, KS 66801.
Mr. Fernandez died Friday, May 25, 2007, at his home, 123 Peyton St. He was 77.
He worked for the Santa Fe Railroad in the Topeka shops as a repair division supervisor before he retired 42 years ago. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
The son of Ramon Sr., and Azuncion Z. Samora Fernandez, he was born March 10, 1930, in Emporia. He married Theresa Rafael on Nov. 24, 1951, at St. Catherine Catholic Church. She died April 5, 2004.
Mr. Fernandez was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He also was a member of VFW Lowry-Funston Post 1980.
He is survived by two sons, David Fernandez of Emporia and John Fernandez Jr., of Olathe; three daughters, Lorraine Rodriguez and Gloria Wietrick, both of Emporia, and Mary Havenhill of Tucson, Ariz.; 11 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and care givers, David and Sandy Fernandez and Mary Havenhill.
Three brothers and three sisters died earlier.