Farner, Ralph J. - Additional Notes
Farner, Ralph J.
Additional Notes
WEST SALEM -- Ralph J. Farner, 83, of West Salem, died Saturday evening, April 19, 2008, at West View Manor in Wooster
Services will be Thursday, April 24, at 11 a.m. at Matteson Funeral Home in West Salem, with Pastor Patricia Lintela officiating. Burial will be at West Salem Cemetery, where military rites will be conducted by James Stevenson American Legion Post 499 of West Salem.
Friends will be received Wednesday, April 23, from 6-9 p.m. at the funeral home, where Masonic services will be held at 9 p.m.
Ralph was born Dec. 5, 1924, in Lodi, to Earl and Lydia (Flory) Farner and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He was an owner of a private plane and was a pilot from 1946-51 and was a special deputy under Sheriff Glenn Rike. From 1948-58, he was owner/operator of Farner's Sohio in West Salem and in 1962 had founded RJ Farner & Sons in West Salem. He retired in 1989 from the West Salem Post Office, after serving 20 years as a mail carrier.
He was a member of West Salem Fire Department for 18 years, serving eight of those years as chief, and had also served as president of the West Salem Board of Public Affairs for 30 years.
Ralph was a member of the United Methodist Church, a 50-year plus member of West Salem Masonic Lodge 398, Royal Arch Mason Oriental Chapter 128, Valley of Canton, James Stevenson American Legion Post 499 of West Salem and 50-year plus member of Garfield Chapter 324 of West Salem.
Surviving are children, Bradford Farner Sr. and Jeffrey (Joyce) Farner, both of West Salem, Rodney (Kim) Farner of Jeromesville and Tamara (Dennis) Swerline of Arizona; a stepson, Jay Tom (Elizabeth) Sperr of Denver, Colo.; 13 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
His wife, Anita Jean Farner, his parents and brothers, Carl and Harry Farner, died previously.
[Source: The Daily Record (Wooster) Obituaries, April 21, 2008]