John Anthony Beal, age 78, of Albia, IA, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at home surrounded by his loved ones.
John Anthony Beal was born on May 31, 1948. He was the oldest child of Don and Bonnie (Kerr) Beal. As the oldest, John was looked up to by all his siblings, Linda, Tom, Carolyn, Ron, Steve, Donna and Sandy. He spent his childhood helping his family on their farm and being introduced to the good news of the gospel. As a teen during the Vietnam era, John saw the world events and enlisted into the army. He was deployed to Vietnam where he was for three years. While he was there, his first child was born, Laura Thompson (Dean). After returning from Vietnam, John was united in marriage to Lois Kunze. From this union four children were welcomed, Jason Beal (Jaymie), Jennifer Grunig (Codie), Jessica Trueg (Justin) and Julia Andrews (Tom).
John had many jobs in his lifetime, but he spent most of his working years working for the railroad including the Milwaukee, Soo Line and Canadian Pacific. After spending twenty-five years working on the railroad, he worked for many years also in the trades, traveling around Iowa and the Midwest.
Though John did many things in his lifetime, his greatest achievement was being part of the Kingdom of God. John spent endless amounts of time reading God’s word and sharing the gospel with anyone who would listen. In his later years he was part of the Gideons and would pass out Bibles to those who needed them. He also was part of a jail ministry that spoke with those who were lost in jail where he shared the wonders of God’s word with those who needed to hear.
John will be dearly missed by his children, grandchildren, siblings and friends. We will miss sharing a cup of coffee with him, talking endlessly about the Bible, sharing his favorite foods with him and listening to his stories that he had told us over and over for years.
In lieu of flowers or memorials, John would be overjoyed if you would take this time to acknowledge that you, along with him and all his family, are sinners in need of a savior. Please take this opportunity to pray and welcome Jesus into your life. Jesus changed John’s life.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026, at the Tharp Funeral Home in Albia, with John’s family present throughout to greet family and friends.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the Tharp Funeral Home in Albia, with Adam Standley officiating. Burial with military honors provided by the American Legion of Albia, Lovilia, and Melrose will follow services at Selection Cemetery in Monroe County.
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