John Thomas Zedialis

John T. Zedialis, 89 of New London, died at his home on Saturday morning, Dec. 8, 2012. Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, at New London First Christian Church. Pastor Tom Day will officiate. Burial will be in Grand View Burial Park, with full Military Honors provided by Emmette J. Shields Post #55, American Legion. Visitation will be on Monday, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Smith Funeral Home & Chapel in Hannibal. Mr. Zedialis was born in Centralia, Il., on December 29, 1922, a son of Alex M. and Valeria L. Zinkus Zedialis. He married Evelyn Louise McKinney on April 21, 1951, in Centralia. She died on July 15, 2005. Survivors include two sons, John Brett (Denise) Zedialis of Town and Country, MO, and Timothy C. (Lori) Zedialis of New London. Grandchildren include Ashley and Geoffrey Zedialis, also of Town and Country; and Austin and Blake Curry of New London. A brother, Alex M. Zedialis, Jr. preceded John in death. John was a veteran and Sergeant in the U. S. Marine Corp. during W.W. II., serving on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Bennington in the South Pacific. After he was discharged, he went to work for the C, B & Q Railroad in Centralia, IL. He relocated to New London in 1958 and served as a conductor for the Burlington-Northern Railroad when he retired in 1984 after 38 years of service. John's first passion was quail hunting and fishing. He later became an avid deer and turkey hunter. In his retirement he learned to become a beekeeper and was able to produce multiple gallons of honey each year distributing to friends and neighbors. He loved gardening, where he specialized in strawberries, cherries and blackberries, which produced buckets of fruit and numerous pies and cobblers which he also gladly shared with his friends. He attended and was an avid supporter of the New London First Christian Church. He was a loving father and grandfather who entertained his grandchildren with colorful stories and taught them about his favorite hobbies. Casketbearers will be Geoff Zedialis, Austin Curry, Blake Curry, David Jarman, Don Schmitz and Gaylord Winders. Memorials may be made to New London First Christian Church, in care of Smith Funeral Home and Chapel. Online condolences to the family may be offered at www.smithfuneralhomeandchapel.com .