John Albert Garchar

JOHN ALBERT GARCHAR Funeral Mass for lifelong Dove Creek resident John Albert Garchar will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 3 at St. Jude Catholic Church with Rev. Pat Valdez C.R. officiating. John will be laid to rest at Dove Creek Cemetery. Visitation has been set for Friday evening from 5 to 6 p.m. with Rosary Services to follow at 6 p.m. both to be held at St. Jude Catholic Church. John Albert Garchar was born January 30, 1923 to Michael and Anna Novotny Ondrejko Garchar. He was born in a dug out cabin on the family farm that was purchased in 1917 where he lived his 89 years. He was called home to be with the lord on Tuesday, February 28, 2012. John was baptized at St. Columba Catholic Church in Durango, confirmed at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church at McPhee which he later helped move to Dove Creek. The church was then renamed St. Jude's Catholic Church by his half-sister Ann Chiles. John was a life time member of this church where he instilled the Catholic faith within his family. At the age of 16 John took on the responsibilities of running the family farm while completing his high school education. He attended school in Dove Creek where he graduated from Dove Creek High School which was held in the old rock building. One of his memories in school was playing basketball in the woodshop of the old rock building and when the team went to Monticello for games the players were winded due to playing on a full court. At the age of 23 John met his lifelong love Emily Irene Semadeni at a picnic held on Cedar Point. They married on May 17, 1947 at Saint Margaret Mary's Catholic Church in Cortez, Colo. by Fr. Francis Papish. They later established their home on the original family farm near Dove Creek. To this union were born six children; Mike, Dwayne, Margaret-Ann, Steve, Eric and James. John and Emily enjoyed the many family gatherings over the years with additions of 12 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren with number eight on the way. John spent his life farming and shared that passion of farming with his sons and grandsons. He loved watching his crops grow and went from using horses and mules to diesel tractors and from thrashing beans by hand to using a combine. He enjoyed raising animals including several famous milk cows. Along with farming; John also worked at the National Lead Uranium Mill in Monticello and spent 25 years working for the State Highway Department. After his retirement he continued to farm pinto beans, wheat, alfalfa, sunflowers and safflower. John served several years on the school board, held a position on the Dolores County Soil Conservation Board, helped start both the Dolores County Search and Rescue and the Dove Creek fire department. He was also instrumental in starting Empire Electric and bringing electricity to the Dove Creek area. He also enjoyed many years of successful hunting with the Mellott brothers, his sons, and grandsons. Not only did he hunt for sport but to feed his growing family, harvesting his first elk at the age of 72. He also kept all the antlers from every hunt and shared accurate stories of each hunt. John was also recognized by the Boone and Crockett Club for harvesting a large mule deer buck in 1950. He is survived by his wife, Emily of 64 years; his children, Mike and wife, Julie of Baker City Ore., Dwayne and wife, Cherrie of Cahone, Margaret Weese of Dove Creek, Steve and wife, Audrey of Dove Creek, Eric and wife, Shari of Dolores; his grandchildren, John Garchar and wife, Kristina, Tracey Garchar and wife, Angela, Clay Weese and wife, Chrissy, Brandon Weese, Levi Garchar, Laura Garchar, April and husband, Steve Hess, Matthew, Andrew, Krista, and Kayla Garchar; step grandchildren Amy and husband, Shawn Sullivan and David and wife, Melissa Hanley; and by seven great grandchildren and five step great grandchildren. John is survived by his sister, Mary and husband, George Hopping of Goleta, Calif. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son James; half-brothers, Frank and Tom Garchar, Paul Ondreko Garchar; and half-sisters Ann Chiles and Helen Garchar. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations to be made at the Community Bank of Colorado for the John Garchar Memorial Fund to be donated for the Dove Creek Volunteer Ambulance and St Jude's Catholic Church.