John E. Onstot

   John E. Onstot, 68 of Newton, formerly of Madrid, died Wednesday July 8, 2026, at Hospice of Pella Comfort House. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at St. Luke United Methodist Church in Newton. The family will greet friends from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory in Newton.  Memorials to the Iowa Donor Network can be left at the funeral home or at the church on the day of the service.

   John, the son of Robert E. and Evelyn M. (Walker) Onstot, was born March 25, 1958, in Ames. He grew up in Ames, where he was a Boy Scout and a member of DeMolay International and received the Chevalier Degree. In 1974, his family moved to Roland.  John graduated from Roland-Story High School in 1977. John was united in marriage with Mary Annette Brown on July 21, 1979, in Winterset. He began working at ACI Mechanical in 1977.  He later worked at Pritchard Brothers Plumbing and Heating, Ames Heating and Cooling, C&K Heating and Cooling, and Bell Brothers Heating and Cooling. He spent the last 11 years of his career as a sheet metal fabricator at Proctor Mechanical, retiring on December 30, 2025. 

   John and Mary made the move from Madrid to Newton in 2014 and became members of St. Luke United Methodist Church.  John enjoyed camping, fishing, and spending time with his grandkids. He was very talented in working with sheet metal, making everything from lawn décor to lamps.

   John is survived by his wife, Mary; children: Heather Marie (Wesley) Zylstra, Matthew John (Rachel) Onstot, and Amy Annette Onstot; 6 grandchildren: Nicolas Onstot, Jenna Onstot, Gwendalyn Zylstra, Katherine Zylstra, Alexander Onstot, and Laurel Zylstra; his mother, Evelyn Onstot; his siblings: Robin Mckenzie and Leanne Wait; his siblings-in-law, Elaine (Bob) Newton, Wayne Speer, Jackie Brown, and Arlene (Bryce) Beerends; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert E. Onstot; his grandson, Owen Onstot; and his grandparents, Forest and Ada Walker and Charles Lee and Bonita Onstot.

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