John L. Sprott

John L. Sprott, 76, of Mt. Pleasant passed away on Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, at Park Place Care Center in Mt. Pleasant.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Faith Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant with Rev. Michael Scudder officiating. According to his wishes, he has donated his body to the University Of Iowa Carver College Of Medicine. Burial will be at a later date in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery rural Mt. Pleasant. Memorials may be directed to Sunshine Academy or donor’s choice.

John was born on Feb. 27, 1935, in Lockridge, Iowa, the son of Charles “Pete” and Selma Brockschmidt Sprott. He attended Saunders and Middle School, graduating from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1953. He was united in marriage to Laurene Lee on July 26, 1959, at the Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant. John earned a bachelor of arts degree from Iowa Wesleyan in Mt. Pleasant later his master’s degrees from the University of Iowa and Missouri State University. He taught school in Fairfield and Quincy in Illinois and for 28 years in Newton, Iowa, retiring in 1997.

He enjoyed reading, learning and teaching, and visits from nieces and nephews were special days. In his younger years, he enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was a charter member of the Faith Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant and a former member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Newton. He was in the U.S. Navy Reserves for eight years.

John is survived by his wife, Laurene of Mt. Pleasant; his sister, Carol Sprott of Ottumwa; many nieces and nephews; and his sisters-in-law, Doris (William) Cummings of Ottumwa and Merna (Dale) Miller of Fairfield.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Lavone and Eugene Edwards.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com.

Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant is handling the arrangements.