John Davids

John Davids, 75, passed away Saturday, June 29, 2024 at his home in Buffalo Center in the care of his loving family. Funeral services were held Monday, July 8 at the First Congregational Church in Buffalo Center. Burial followed at Graceland Cemetery in Buffalo Center with military honors conducted by the United States Marine Honor Guard along with the Buffalo Center American Legion. John

John Russ Davids, III, was an amazing human being who was loved and will be missed. John was born March 6, 1949 to John “Jack” Davids, Jr. & Vera (Russ) Davids at the Blue Earth Hospital in Blue Earth, MN. He was delivered by Vera’s brother Dr. Homer Russ and was a third generation Buffalo Centerite. John was the youngest of six children. His family’s home is located one mile north of Buffalo Center. On that farm he started milking cows by hand with his dad at age 5. As a member of FFA he raised Poland China hogs and took them to the Iowa State Fair, where he was also a judge of dairy cattle. 

John met his future wife, Betty Schutter, in church when they were both babies. Both of their parents were members of the First Congregational Church in Buffalo Center. John was finally able to convince Betty to date him in the spring of 1967. They dated for a year, got engaged at Betty’s Senior Prom, and were married October 13, 1968. They moved to Iowa Falls and then to Ames. In January of 1969, John’s student deferment was delayed, so he decided to enlist in the US Marine Corps. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, Jill, shortly thereafter.

Over the next four years, the family lived in Millington, TN; Yuma, AZ; Yamaguchi City, Japan; and Tustin, CA. Overseas, John served in Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. During this time, the couple welcomed another daughter, Heather.

After his military service, he moved his family back to Buffalo Center in 1973. The home he chose in which to raise his family was built in 1912 by Betty’s grandparents, Henry and Bertha Schutter. That same home was purchased in 1943 by John’s grandparents, John Davids, Sr. & Antje.

John got right to work in a variety of jobs. He combined peas for Green Giant, built grain elevators across Iowa, including the ones in Buffalo Center and Thompson, and drove semi for Farmers Co-op Elevator.

In 1974, he began farming the family farm and started Davids Trucking, continuing both of those endeavors for the rest of his life. Trucking took him to all 48 contiguous states. The next year, John purchased the buying station, naming it Davids Livestock where he bought and sold hogs and cattle.

They began the 1980s by welcoming another daughter, Courtney. John took on managerial duties at the Yohn & Son Ready-Mix plant in Buffalo Center for 3 years. Also during this decade, John served as a volunteer fireman for five years and was commander of VFW Post 4824 for five years.

In 1986, John began his foray into city government when he was elected as a city councilman. That same year, their family grew by one with the addition of a son, John, IV. The following year, John was elected mayor. Between the years of 1986 and 2022 he served a total of 22 years in city government and oversaw many improvement projects for the betterment of the city, including the Buffalo Center Centennial celebration in 1992.

The VFW Post Home was transformed into The Sports Club when John purchased it in 1995. For the next 9 years, The Sports Club was a place to meet friends and have a laugh.

John was very focused in his pastimes, being the #1 Hawkeye fan. His love of the Hawkeyes began in 1961 when, at age 12, he received a small, green Jade handheld radio on which he listened to an Iowa basketball game for the very first time. In 1983, the inaugural year of Carver Hawkeye Arena, John and Betty acquired front row season tickets for the men’s basketball games. They attended home games for many seasons, at times bringing their children with them. Because of this early exposure, three of his children graduated from the University of Iowa.

This love of sports extended to a longtime following of Nascar racing, especially Dale Earnhart, watching him in person and on TV. He also enjoyed Iowa Football and had season tickets for several years. On the local level, John played on and sponsored several bowling teams and slow-pitch men’s softball teams. John loved spending time with his grandchildren and great-granddaughter, whether it was attending their baseball games, sitting on the couch visiting, or just goofing around, he was always laughing with them.

John also had a great love of animals. The family farm was populated by a variety of critters. In addition to the expected hogs and cattle, you could also find goats, Newfoundland and Great Pyrenees dogs, and the occasional rescued racoon kits or injured crow. He shared a special bond with his son’s Labrador Retriever, Epic, and enjoyed “babysitting” her on occasion. Most recently, he added a puppy, “Boo,” to the family. It brought him great joy to make people laugh, and he often accomplished this with finely honed sarcasm.

John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October of 2022 and left this earth on Saturday, June 29, 2024. He was at home, in the loving care of his family.

John was preceded in death by his parents, an infant brother, his brother Dallas, his sister Leola (Mrs. Ralph) Borchers, and his sister Carol (Mrs. George) Malmberg.

Left to mourn him are his wife of 55 years, Betty, his children – Jill (Mrs. Tony) Jennings of Spirit Lake; Heather of Spirit Lake; Courtney (Mrs. Steve) Cable of Riverside; and John (wife Kate) Davids, IV, of Williamsburg. His grandchildren – Lexi (Mrs. Justin) Theisen of Vilseck, Germany; Austin Jennings of Everly; Macy Jennings of Okoboji; Silas Cable and Theda Cable of Riverside; John Davids, V, and Claire Davids of Williamsburg; and his great-granddaughter Cora Theisen of Vilseck, Germany; his sisters Violet Baker of Ames and Ruth Bassett of El Paso, TX, and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.