John L. Bare

      John L. Bare, 86, of Prairie Du Sac, Wis., formerly of Mt. Pleasant, died on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2002, at the Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital, in Sauk City, Wis.

      A memorial service will be at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Sauk Prairie Evangelical Free Church, with the Rev. Dennis Verti officiating. Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the Sauk Prairie Cemetery with military rites conducted by the Sauk Prairie VFW Post #7694. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 at the church. Gnewikow-Hooverson Funeral Home of Sauk City is in charge of arrangements.

      Mr. Bare was born in Harper, Kan., on Dec. 3, 1916, the son of Mahlon and Anna Holdeman Bare. He married Arletta "June" Roth on Nov. 5, 1950. He served with the Army during World War II in Africa and Italy and was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He farmed near Mt. Pleasant and retired to Prairie Du Sac, Wis., in 2000.

      Survivors include his wife; three sons, Ron and his wife Denise Bare of Prairie Du Sac, Wendell and his wife Janet Bare of Portage, Wis., and Clayton and his wife Betty of North Freedom; two daughters, Diann and her husband Kurt Reist of Witchita, Kan., and Rita Bare of Lansing, Mich.; two brothers, Tim Bare of Pryor, Okla., and Ted Bare of Adair, Okla.; a sister, Kathryn Heida of Redway, Calif.; and 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

      He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers and two sisters.