John William Lanser, 93, went home to Jesus on Mar. 14, 2021. A private family funeral service (immediate family only) was held Friday, Mar. 19, followed by the interment. Memorial contributions are preferred for Cary Christian Center or Mississippi Christian Family Services.
John was born to Johannes (John) Ariesz and Elizabeth (Bruxvoort) Lanser on May 6, 1927, at their home on the family farm near Sully. He was the tenth child of 13. He was baptized as an infant and made profession of faith at Sully Christian Reformed Church. He vividly remembered riding horse and buggy to Sully Christian School.
John met his wife, Lois Elaine (Blom) Jansen, at a church picnic in 1956. They married on June 19, 1957, at the home of John’s brother and his wife, Pete and Junella Lanser in Sully. John and Lois created a loving, blended family, which included their two sons, Jerry Lee Lanser (9/2/50) and Virgil James Jansen (6/22/55). Following John and Lois's marriage, two more sons were born, Milton Jay Lanser (5/3/58) and Brent Allen Lanser (11/25/60). They also parented children with special needs throughout the 1970s.
John farmed and hauled cream in the 1940s and 1950s. Although he enjoyed the work, he had to leave those occupations due to severe dust allergies. He and Lois moved with their three sons to Pella in 1958. He got a job as a plumber with Pella Building and Supply and enjoyed working with that crew for many years. In 1971, John Lanser and John Boender created Boender and Lanser Home Service. That business grew, and in 1974, John formed a separate business and called it Lanser Home Service, which offers residential installation and service in plumbing, wiring, heating, and air conditioning. That company is now co-owned by his two sons, Virgil Jansen and Brent Lanser. John enjoyed working with the company for 32 years. He finally retired in 2007, when he was 80 years old.
In addition to being a dedicated and loving father, he also loved serving in the church and volunteering. He served as an elder at Faith Christian Reformed Church many times. For 34 years, he traveled south for a few weeks of volunteer work in the Mississippi Delta, where he served at Mississippi Christian Family Services and Cary Christian Center. Most of his children, grandchildren, and two of his great-grandchildren have worked with him on a variety of service projects. In 2019, he received the Delta Honoree Award for three decades of service in southern Mississippi. For the past several years, he enjoyed volunteering at Mobility Worldwide in Leighton.
Throughout John’s entire life, he held an unwavering faith in God, which he shared with those around him. During his lifetime, John was diagnosed with cancer in 1964 and again in 2010. After being diagnosed in 1964, he received cobalt radiation treatments that severely weakened his body. While he was bedridden in the hospital for six weeks, he prayed for healing. He said, “Lord, I don’t know how long I can do this. If I am healed, I promise I will never complain about work again.” John did recover and was cancer-free for more than four decades. His family vouches for the promise he made, he never complained about work throughout the rest of his life.
John and Lois cherished each other and were blessed with a full life, being married for 63 years. They prayed for and enjoyed their four children and spouses: Jerry (Ruby) Lanser of Longmont, CO, Virgil (Deborah) Jansen of Pella, Milton (Mary) Lanser of Englewood, CO, and Brent (Cheryl) Lanser of Pella; 14 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.
John’s surviving family also includes his brother, Marvin (Ruth) Lanser; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Junella Lanser, Alberdina Van Wyk, Gary (Carolyn) Blom, Darlene (David) Bower, Lavonne (Jerry) Vos, Steve Blom, Lilburn (Geneva) Jansen, Charlene Van Maanen, Marcille Jansen; and a host of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by grandchildren Amy Lanser and Daniel Lanser, great-granddaughter Aliza Lanser, his parents, and 11 siblings and their spouses: Mattie (Henry) Jansen, Brant (Johanna) Lanser, Arie (Johanna) Lanser, Durky (Gerrit) Van Kooten, Nellie (Cornie) Van Maaren, Henry (Clara) Lanser, Joann (Ludolph) Zylstra, Betty (Dewey) Nikkel, Peter Lanser, Harriet (Dan) Van Wyk, and Dorothy Lanser (infant).
