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Longtime Armstrong, MO, resident and farmer, John Fehling, age 76, passed away peacefully at home on October 17, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.
John Charles Fehling was born July 6, 1950, in Armstrong, MO, the son of Virgil and Ruth (Kline) Fehling. He graduated from Fayette High School with the class of 1968. Following graduation, John enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served his country valiantly during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged from active duty in April of 1970. John continued serving in the Marine Corps Reserves for an additional four years. John was very proud of his time in the service. On May 12, 1979, John married the love of his life, Anita “Carol” Thompson, at the Armstrong Baptist Church. The couple enjoyed over 32 years of marriage and shared three children under this union: Jennifer, Brian, and Eric. Carol preceded John in death, January 12, 2012.
John primarily worked as a farmer most of his life. He valued hard work, family, and community. Along with the daily duties of being a farmer and tending to his cattle, John worked for the Moberly Dept. of Corrections. He started with the Moberly DOC in 1988 and retired in 2011. John also worked in carpentry and did countless woodworking projects. He was a former member of the American Legion and a proud member of the VFW. John was an Armstrong volunteer firefighter and served as President of the Fire Board for 20-plus years. He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, raising his cattle, and spending time with his family.
Survivors include his four children, Shelly (Chris) Kilbride of St. Louis, MO, Jennifer (Aaron) Bean of Armstrong, MO, Brian (Samantha) Fehling of Armstrong, MO, and Eric (Cyle) Fehling of Higbee, MO; step-son, Jeff Thompson of Centralia, MO; 11 grandchildren; and four step-grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; four siblings, Bruce (Joyce) Bowers of Fayette, MO, Sonny Fehling of Armstrong, MO, Vicki Gamble of LaPlace, LA, and Roxanne Fehling of Fayette, MO. In addition to his wife and parents, John was preceded in death by a brother, Jimmy Fehling, and a step-grandson, Jeffrey Thompson.
Funeral service honoring the life of John Fehling will be 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Friemonth-Freese Funeral Home in Fayette. Visitation will be held an hour and a half before the service, starting at 9:30 a.m. Burial with full military honors will follow the services at Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Armstrong.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Wesley Chapel Cemetery, c/o Friemonth-Freese Funeral Service, 174 Hwy. 5 & 240 N., Fayette, MO 65248.
