 John Victor 'Jack' Ishler January 21, 1937 - December 21, 2012 John Victor (Jack) Ishler, 75, of Spring Mills, went home to be with the Lord on December 21, 2012. He passed away peacefully at home after a very brief illness. He was born January 21, 1937, in Bellefonte, PA, and was the son of the late John William Ishler and Bessie Frances Eves Ishler. He married Evalene Harter Ishler on October 26, 1957, who survives at home. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Jackie Ishler (Richard) Holmes, of Pittsburgh, and his son, Todd E. (Virginia) Ishler, of Spring Mills, his granddaughter, Emma Holmes and his grandson, Eric Holmes, both of Pittsburgh. John is also survived by three brothers, Richard (Ann), of Statesville, North Carolina, Wendell (Melinda) and Philip (Maxine), both of Bellefonte, and three sisters, Janet Gordon, of Pleasant Gap, Sally Meyer, of Frostburg, Maryland, and Cynthia (Corey) Harter, of Pleasant Gap. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers, Donald Ishler, Thomas Ishler and David Ishler, and one sister, Lois Ishler Walker. John graduated from Bellefonte High School in 1954, where he was an accomplished student and athlete. He graduated from Penn State University with both a Bachelor of Science and a Masters degree in Agricultural Education. He taught Vocational Agriculture, at Bald Eagle High School for 2 years and then at Penns Valley High School for 28 years, before retiring in 1993. While he greatly enjoyed his time as an educator, his passion was farming. John began his farming career as a young boy by working on neighboring farms assisting with various farm chores. He and his wife purchased their first farm in Salona, PA in 1958, where he had 30 dairy cows in addition to raising crops. In 1963, he elected to sell the farm in order to complete his education at Penn State. As a full-time student he worked on several dairy farms in the State College area. In 1968, he and his wife purchased their present farm, in the Spring Mills area. In 1990, his son and daughter-in-law joined them in a farming partnership. Owning, operating, and working on the farm along side his family brought John great joy. John had been the advisor for the Penns Valley Young Farmers since 1967 and was a lifetime member of the Pennsylvania Young Farmers Association. Over the years he has held many offices with the Pennsylvania Holstein Association, D.H.I.A, Agway, Lehigh Valley Farmers, Centre County Farm Bureau, and is a member of the Logan Grange. He was the Vocational Agriculture Representative on the Centre County Grange Fair Committee for 35 years. He was instrumental in starting the tractor, 4-wheel drive vehicle and ATV pulls in addition to serving on various committees for the Fair. He served as Master of Ceremonies for the Centre County Dairy Princess program and Centre County Grange Fair Queen contest and was the announcer of the Central Pennsylvania Championship Holstein Show for many years. He has also judged many contests, including Future Farmers of America project books. John was a community columnist for the Centre Daily Times. He enjoyed educating and sharing his love of agriculture with the community at large. He was recognized with many awards and achievements. In 1978, he placed 4th among 118,119 contestants in the Hoards Dairymen cow-judging contest. He received the Honorary Keystone Farmer Degree in 1979 and the Wally Thompson Memorial Conservation Award in 1981 for work with conservation education and farming. In 1981 he received the Honorary American Farmer Degree at the National Future Farmers of America Convention in Kansas City. He was named to the Alpha Tau Alpha Agricultural Education Hall of Fame in 1982. He received the Outstanding Pennsylvania Young Farmer Advisor award in 2006. Most recently, in 2012, he received the Industry Service Award from the Centre County Farm Bureau. He was also recognized for his support and dedication to the Penns Valley Future Farmers of America. John was a member of the State College Alliance Church. He received much enjoyment from the friendships he formed in his church and small group. A man of great faith, John enjoyed life to its fullest. Spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, brought him great joy. The family will receive friends from 5 - 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 23, at the State College Alliance Church, 1221 West Whitehall Road, State College, PA 16803. The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, December 24, at the same location, with the Reverends Aaron Henning and Neil Breneman officiating. Burial will follow at the Jacksonville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the State College Alliance Church. Funeral arrangements are by Mark D. Heintzelman Funeral and Cremation Services, 226 South Pennsylvania Avenue, Centre Hall. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.heintzelmanfuneralhome.com.
Published in Centre Daily Times from December 23 to December 24, 2012
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