Obituary: John Michael Indiano

GARDNERVILLE -- A funeral Mass for John Michael Indiano, 81, a Minden resident, will be 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Gall Catholic Church.

A Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Gall Catholic Church.

Mr. Indiano died July 20, 2002 at his residence. He was born Sept. 11, 1920, in Reno, to Michel and Jeanne Marie Etchebarran Indiano. He spent his early years in Elko, Eureka and Jiggs, moving to Long Valley in Alpine County in 1930. His parents bought the family ranch on Heybourne Tract Road in 1937, where he spent the remainder of his life.

He was a graduate of Douglas County High School where he was a member of the football, basketball, track and tennis teams and the FFA and Block D.

He married Barbara Sarasola on Nov. 8, 1952, and together they ran the family ranch until his death. They raised Angus cattle, sheep and alfalfa.

He also leased the Hollister Ranch in Genoa for 20 years and did custom backhoe work for many years.

Mr. Indiano was a member of St. Gall Catholic Church, the Mendiko Euskaldun Cluba, the Active 20-30 Club, Lions Club and was a charter member of the Manhattan Club.

He served on the board of directors of the Soil Conservation District since 1979 and was their equipment manager. He was on the ASCS Board of Directors, the Farm Bureau and was instrumental in the formation of the Western Nevada Wool Pool. At the time of his death, he was completing his second term on the Douglas County Water Conveyance Advisory Board. He was named Conservationist of the Year in 1967 and was inducted into the Farm Bureau Hall of Fame in 1996.

He was preceded in death by his sister Alice Dangberg.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years Barbara of Minden; son and daughter-in-law Michael Gary and Joan of Pleasant Valley; daughters and sons-in-law JoAnn and Steve Thaler and Janelle and Todd Wilcks of Minden; grandchildren Amber Indiano and Ryan Indiano of Las Vegas, Jeffrey Zinn and Matt and Kaycee Wilcks of Minden and Melody and Sean Thaler of Gardnerville; sister Adele Kidman of Reno and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Gall Catholic Church Memorial Garden Project, 1343 Centerville Lane, Gardnerville, NV 89410.

Walton's Douglas County Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.