John "Sparky" Simmons

February 12, 1948 - March 13, 2017

Please note the change in visitation time. John “Sparky” Simmons, 69, of Morton died Monday, March 13, 2017 at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar. Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2017, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Morton. Following the visitation, a private memorial service will be held, concluding with military honors. Inurnment will be held at a later date. The family prefers memorials be donated to Redwood County Warrior Fund (Wounded Warriors), % Redwood County VSO, P.O. Box 130, Redwood Falls, MN 56283. Arrangements are with Nelson-Hillestad Funeral and Cremation Service of Redwood Falls. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelson-hillestad.com. John Charles Simmons, the son of Joseph and Beatrice (McFarland) Simmons, was born February 12, 1948 in New Ulm. He grew up on the family farm near Morton and received his formal education in Morton Public School, graduating in 1966. On April 26, 1967, John was inducted into the United States Army and served in Vietnam with the 52nd Battalion, Company D. Following his honorable discharge on March 4, 1969, John returned to the Morton area. On June 28, 1969, John married Mary McCauley and they lived in Minneapolis before moving to Alpha while John attended the electrician program at Jackson Vocational-Technical school. They lived in Young America, where John worked as an electrician, before moving to Redwood Falls where he started his own business – Simmons Electric. He operated Simmons Electric in Redwood Falls for 34 years then, around the year 2000, he and Mary moved the business to Morton. John was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church. He also belonged to the V.F.W. where he served as commander, and the American Legion. John liked to work, but he did manage to find time to do a little hunting and help run the family estate. He enjoyed wildlife and was very interested in wildlife preservation. John is survived by his wife Mary of Morton; sons Jason (fiancé Marci Nelson) of Roseville, Jeff of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Paul of Mankato; and grandchildren Angelica, Jeremy, Brinly, and Nolin. Also surviving are his siblings Helen (Gordy) Johnson of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Bob (Jeri) Simmons of Willmar, Mary (Dick) Wohnoutka of Spicer, Jim (Gail) Simmons of Morton, Monica Wohlin of New London, and Mike Simmons of St. Paul; and sister-in-law Jackie (Ed) Simmons of Redwood Falls. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Tom, Peter, and Ed Simmons; and sisters Ann Simmons and Ellie Poss. Blessed be his memory.