John H. Friend, Jr., 96, Nortonville, Kansas died Sunday December 11, 2022 at St. Francis Hospital, Topeka, Kansas.

Funeral services will be Monday, December 19, 2022 at 10:30 A.M. at Nortonville New Covenant UMC, Nortonville, Kansas with Rev. Melinda Harwood officiating. Interment will follow in Hiawatha Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 1:30 until 3:00 P.M. at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home, Atchison, Kansas. Memorial contributions are suggested to Nortonville New Covenant UMC or F. W. Huston Senior Living or Nortonville Public Library and may be left in care of the funeral home.

John was born March 15, 1926, in Junction City, Kansas the son of John H. Friend, Sr. and Grace Sullivan Friend. He graduated from Highland Park High School and Baker University.

He and Margaret June Miller were united in marriage on June 4, 1948 at the Atchison United Methodist Church. Mr. Friend preceded him in death on October 20, 2012.

John served in the United States Navy from June 27, 1944 until his honorable discharge on July 3, 1946.

He served as a postmaster for the United States Postal Service first in Cummings, Kansas then in

Potter, Kansas in the 1970- and Nortonville, Kansas from 1981 until his retirement in 1989. John was also engaged in farming and served as manager of the Main Street Bowling Alley in Atchison, Kansas from 1958 until 1970. He also held a real estate license working for Marcell Watowa at Century 21 then for Stranger Creek Realty and then for Pia Friend Realty.

He was a member of New Covenant Nortonville Methodist Church. He formerly served as a lay leader, youth leader, trustee and Sunday school teacher of the Cummings Methodist Church. He was also a member of the Masonic Rites in the Third Degree.

In his free time, John enjoyed piloting his own plane, bowling, watching baseball and his greatest enjoyment was spending time with his family and his grandchildren.

John is survived by his four sons, John (Diana) Friend, Ozawkie, KS; Patrick (Pia) Friend, Ozawkie, KS; James (Susan) Friend, San Antonio, TX; William (Manuel) Friend, Dallas, TX; seven grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret June Friend; two sons that died in infancy; two sisters, Peggy Friend and Betty Friend.