John Joseph Shirbroun, son of Karl and Lenore (Adamson) Shirbroun, was born on January 7, 1947 in Carroll, Iowa. He was a true servant as a man of great faith and a devoted family man. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend.
Following graduation from Bayard High School in 1965, John attended Iowa State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1969. Upon receiving his degree, he enlisted in the Army, receiving an Officer’s commission and deployment to combat in Vietnam. John served with distinction, receiving the Bronze Star for Valor and an honorable discharge at the rank of First Lieutenant.
John married Nancy Corkins of Hutchinson, Kansas on September 23, 1978 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa combining their families of John’s two children and Nancy’s five children.
Forty-one years ago, on April 1, 1981, John returned to Greene County with his family to farm the land that his great grandfather first cultivated in 1896. There they resided in the home that was built by John’s maternal grandparents, Edwin and Suzy Adamson. John and Nancy became a part of the farming operation alongside his parents as they helped care for them. John loved working the land and was always a good steward of the land.
John served in many community organizations throughout the years and was an active member of his church. John is well respected for the time and talent he provided to each of those causes while especially making sure the Veterans were recognized for the contributions they made to their country. John was a caretaker of all things great and small and his caring personality and dry sense of humor frequently brought a smile to those who crossed his path.
Surrounded by his family, Bayard native John Shirbroun passed away in his home Monday, March 21, 2022, following a long 2 ½ year battle with multiple cancers stemming from his exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. His loving wife Nancy was at his side at the time of his passing, along with all 7 children and several grandchildren.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Karl & Lenore Shirbroun, his mother-in-law Edith Mooney, and sister-in-law Pam Munns, both of Hutchinson, Kansas.
John is survived by his wife Nancy and their 7 children: Barb (Dana) Smith of Aurelia, Bob (Nancy) Corkins of Lawrence, Kansas, Brent (Robyn) Corkins of Guthrie Center, Bud Corkins of Bayard, Brad Corkins of Bayard, Jason Shirbroun of Clarksville, and Laura (Clint) Freund of Atlantic, 19 grandchildren, and 22 great grandchildren, sister Sue (Craig) MacDonald of Scranton, along with many nephews, nieces and other relatives.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 1, 2022 at the United Methodist Church in Bayard with military honors by the Bayard American Legion Post No. 44 and the Guthrie Center American Legion Post No. 124. Memorials will be distributed by the family to the various organizations that John was active in.
