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John Adema Obituary
John Martin Adema, Jr., 100, passed away peacefully on July 23, 2024. He was born on February 16, 1924, in New Orleans, LA, to John Adema and Christine Kessler. He attended Jesuit High School on a music scholarship (French horn) and lettered in Track and Field (javelin).
During high school, John helped his family financially with money he earned doing a variety of jobs. He also had the pleasure of playing with Gerald Hirt and Al Hirt while in school. He graduated in 1942, and began classes at Louisiana State University (LSU) in the fall of that year.
Like many young men of his generation, John put his studies on hold to serve his country in WWII. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 1943, and was assigned to the 4th Amphibious Tractor Battalion as a radio operator in an LTV4 craft.
John served in the South Pacific where he participated in landings in Guam, the Marshall Islands, British Solomon Islands, the Marianas Islands, and the Kwajalein Atoll and earned two bronze stars. At the time of his death, John was the last survivor of his battalion.
After returning home from the war in 1945, John worked a variety of jobs before resuming his studies, including as a stevedore on the docks, a shipping clerk, and liquid mixing at the Lone Star Cement plant. It was while working at Lone Star that he met June Corcoran in June 1945, while she worked in the chemical laboratory. It was love at first sight and they married August 22nd of that summer. They remained inseparable until her death 73 years later.
In September, John returned to LSU where he studied Forestry. In October 1946, they welcomed the first of their five children. He graduated in June 1948, and went to work for the Southern Forest Experimental Station as a surveyor.
In 1962, John's work took the family to Colorado. That move began the journey that would take them to Texas, California, and Germany, as John worked for the Bureau of Reclamation, the US Forest Service, and the Army Corps of Engineers. John oversaw the building of bridges, dams, and various water and flood control projects during his 32 year career, which included stints as a civilian military liaison in Vietnam (1969-70) and in Nuremberg, Germany (1978-85) modernizing a German military hospital.
Family was everything to John and if you were his friend, you were family too. Son, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were the titles of which he was the most proud. John was a devout Catholic who prayed the rosary daily throughout his life, an early adopter of personal fitness-maintaining a routine of pushups and strength training into his 50's, and a life-long learner with a passion for history and Judaic studies. He loved traveling with June and their many friends, and their time in Germany provided ample opportunity to see the world. John also liked to take time for a nice Scotch.
John was dedicated to helping veterans and began volunteering to help others immediately upon his return from the war. He was a member of the Marine Corps League and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) where he served as Commander, Adjutant/Treasurer, and SEC.
John is survived by his daughter, June McJunkin; daughter, Jamie Millen (Jerry); son, Joel Adema (Debby); daughter, Jill Dahlen (Jerry); and son, Justin Adema. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Francine Flanders of Louisiana; and nephew, Edward (Mike) Scheidt of Virginia. His legacy lives on in 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
John was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, June Corcoran Adema; brother-in-law, Frank Corcoran; son-in-law, Bill McJunkin; father, John; mother, Christine; and two sisters, Ruth Hearne and Ruby Bulot.
Thank you to the staff at The Courtyard for the loving care they provided throughout his residence. You meant a lot to him and his family.
In lieu of flowers, the family is suggesting donations to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Disabled American Veterans, Sacramento Chapter #6, PO Box 245007, Sacramento, CA 95824.
Services will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Yuba City, CA, Rosary at 11:30 and funeral Mass at noon. Inurnment in Sacramento Valley National Cemetery will take place in September.
During high school, John helped his family financially with money he earned doing a variety of jobs. He also had the pleasure of playing with Gerald Hirt and Al Hirt while in school. He graduated in 1942, and began classes at Louisiana State University (LSU) in the fall of that year.
Like many young men of his generation, John put his studies on hold to serve his country in WWII. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 1943, and was assigned to the 4th Amphibious Tractor Battalion as a radio operator in an LTV4 craft.
John served in the South Pacific where he participated in landings in Guam, the Marshall Islands, British Solomon Islands, the Marianas Islands, and the Kwajalein Atoll and earned two bronze stars. At the time of his death, John was the last survivor of his battalion.
After returning home from the war in 1945, John worked a variety of jobs before resuming his studies, including as a stevedore on the docks, a shipping clerk, and liquid mixing at the Lone Star Cement plant. It was while working at Lone Star that he met June Corcoran in June 1945, while she worked in the chemical laboratory. It was love at first sight and they married August 22nd of that summer. They remained inseparable until her death 73 years later.
In September, John returned to LSU where he studied Forestry. In October 1946, they welcomed the first of their five children. He graduated in June 1948, and went to work for the Southern Forest Experimental Station as a surveyor.
In 1962, John's work took the family to Colorado. That move began the journey that would take them to Texas, California, and Germany, as John worked for the Bureau of Reclamation, the US Forest Service, and the Army Corps of Engineers. John oversaw the building of bridges, dams, and various water and flood control projects during his 32 year career, which included stints as a civilian military liaison in Vietnam (1969-70) and in Nuremberg, Germany (1978-85) modernizing a German military hospital.
Family was everything to John and if you were his friend, you were family too. Son, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were the titles of which he was the most proud. John was a devout Catholic who prayed the rosary daily throughout his life, an early adopter of personal fitness-maintaining a routine of pushups and strength training into his 50's, and a life-long learner with a passion for history and Judaic studies. He loved traveling with June and their many friends, and their time in Germany provided ample opportunity to see the world. John also liked to take time for a nice Scotch.
John was dedicated to helping veterans and began volunteering to help others immediately upon his return from the war. He was a member of the Marine Corps League and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) where he served as Commander, Adjutant/Treasurer, and SEC.
John is survived by his daughter, June McJunkin; daughter, Jamie Millen (Jerry); son, Joel Adema (Debby); daughter, Jill Dahlen (Jerry); and son, Justin Adema. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Francine Flanders of Louisiana; and nephew, Edward (Mike) Scheidt of Virginia. His legacy lives on in 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
John was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, June Corcoran Adema; brother-in-law, Frank Corcoran; son-in-law, Bill McJunkin; father, John; mother, Christine; and two sisters, Ruth Hearne and Ruby Bulot.
Thank you to the staff at The Courtyard for the loving care they provided throughout his residence. You meant a lot to him and his family.
In lieu of flowers, the family is suggesting donations to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Disabled American Veterans, Sacramento Chapter #6, PO Box 245007, Sacramento, CA 95824.
Services will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Yuba City, CA, Rosary at 11:30 and funeral Mass at noon. Inurnment in Sacramento Valley National Cemetery will take place in September.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by Appeal Democrat on Aug. 7, 2024.
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