John H. Baumgartner ("Whiskey") 79, of Strasburg passed away Sunday, February 23, 2020 at the Linton Hospital.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 2, 2020 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Strasburg, ND.

Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. with a prayer service at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at the church.

Burial will be at the church cemetery.

Keeping with Whiskey's style, casual dress is requested, which may include attire from his two favorite sports teams, the Green Bay Packers and the Strasburg Clippers.

John was the 11 ^th child born to John & Martina (Scherr) Baumgartner on March 20, 1940 in Strasburg, ND. His father died four months before he was born, so his brothers and sisters heaped extra attention on their baby brother. They adored and cherished him every day of their lives.

When John started first grade at St. Benedicts, his sister recalled how she loved to walk him to school. One day he stopped her and said, "Cerella, it's ok, you don't have to walk me all the way," and when she explained she didn't mind, he admitted that some of the other children teased him because she walked him to school every day. "It almost broke my heart that he didn't need me," she laughed.

It was a couple of years after that when John earned his nickname, after finding a bottle of whiskey under an old band stand (now located at the Lawrence Welk homestead). A floor board was broken, so being a curious 9-yr old, John crawled underneath to retrieve the bottle and sample the contents, and the rest is history.

While in high school, John participated in basketball, baseball and football and that love of sports would continue throughout his entire life. He loved being part of a large family, and his oldest brothers, twins Harvey and Elmer, always made sure the house was full of laughter. The antics and practical jokes of that dynamic duo provided much entertainment for the brood their entire lives.

In 1958, John and his mom followed many of his siblings to Milwaukee, WI, where they began work at various factories and companies. He entered the Army in April, 1963 and was honorably discharged in April 1965. On Oct. 9, 1966, John married Alice Sienko at St. Albert's Catholic Church in Milwaukee, WI. They had three children in three years, John, Martina and Margaret.

While in Milwaukee, John worked for the American Motor Corporation for almost 20 years, which was kind of ironic because John never owned a car or drove. In about 1960, John joined his brothers working part time as members of the grounds crew at Milwaukee County Stadium, where they prepped and maintained the field for the Milwaukee Brewer games, as well as the Green Bay Packers. It was the perfect fit for John, who couldn't afford to attend the games, but was able to watch them up close. Eventually, in-laws, nephews, cousins and other former North Dakota residents became part of their crew. John loved the camaraderie with his brothers and other relatives, and always had great stories to tell of those nights.

Alice and the kids attended many Milwaukee Brewer games, where their children would hope for a rain-delay so they could watch their dad run around the field to get the tarp on. When any of those games included a souvenir giveaway, John always brought extra boxes of the trinkets home to give away to all the neighborhood kids who were unable to attend the game.

While in Milwaukee, John and Alice enjoyed being part of a bowling league and John continued to play recreational baseball, with Alice cheering him on. He also coached 5 ^th and 6 ^th grade basketball at St. Anthony's. There was no school gym, so they had to practice outside, as long as it was above 20 degrees.

With a large extended family, John and Alice treasured their gatherings, whether it was celebrating a baptism, First Holy Communion or just a pool party, it often turned into an all-day event filled with laughter and love.

In 1979, John and Alice decided to move back to Strasburg, where he began working at the Strasburg Cheese Plant until it closed. He then worked at Quality Photo Frames until his retirement. John was a man of great faith, and was very proud of the rich history and beauty of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. He enjoyed giving visitors a tour of the church and sharing stories of the historic landmark.

After returning to Strasburg, John again began coaching 5 ^th and 6 ^th grade basketball at St. Benedict's and also coached the Emmons Central High School girls basketball team for a couple of years.

John also became an ASA certified softball umpire, and was still working games into his 70's. He took his duties as an ump very seriously, but any heated exchanges that may have happened during the game, were soon forgotten as players would invite John to join the team for a beer.

In 1994, John began a Saturday basketball camp for 2 ^nd , 3 ^rd and 4 ^th graders, at the Strasburg Public School, where he worked on basic fundamentals. He enjoyed watching the kids improve, and continued to follow their efforts as they moved on to the next level. John was a strong supporter of Strasburg Clipper athletics and was a member of the football "chain gang" for more than 30 years, as well as a referee for junior high and junior varsity football games.

John enjoyed being involved with the youth in the Strasburg community, and the kids always showed him a great deal of respect. He became a bit of a local "celebrity" as he cruised the streets of Strasburg in his golf cart with Alice and their special dog, Abby. The students of Mr. Kleinsasser's shop class even gifted him with a special, personalized license plate for the cart, "Whiskey - #1 Clipper fan."

John entered the Strasburg Care Center in December 2019 and passed away at the Linton Hospital on February 23, 2020.

John was greeted in heaven by his beloved wife, Alice, where they will laugh and dance together again. We can only imagine the glorious reunion John had with his own father, who he never met on this earth, but will now spend eternity with. He was also reunited with his devoted mother, and joined by brothers, Elmer, Bill and LeRoy (infancy) and sisters, Lucy and Delores, as well as many in-laws, nephews and nieces.

John is survived by his son John Jr. (Jill) of Holyoke, CO; 2 daughters, Tina (David) Kary of Aberdeen, SD  and Margie (Pat) Lawler-Haug of Mandan, ND; grandchildren, Ryan (Deidra) Baumgartner, Reid (Hannah) Baumgartner and twin great grandsons, Cale and Blaine Baumgartner; Denton (Abby Bachmeier) Kary; McKyla (Terrelle Walker) Kary and Brogan Kary; Alexandria (Dave) Petersen and great grandson, Carter; Sophia (Sean Mortensen) Lawler and Teddie (Sarah Gabriel) Lawler, Kiana Haug, Kaylyn Haug.

Other survivors include one brother, Harvey (Jonathan) Baumgartner; four sisters, Sr. Cerella Baumgartner, Helen (Donald) Kraft, Virginia Draeger and Nyla Schwab; sister in law, Rosie Baumgartner, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

John's family is grateful to the wonderful staff and caregivers at the Strasburg Care Center, as well as Dr. Newton and the nurses and support staff of the Linton Hospital. A special thank you to the entire Strasburg community and his local coffee gang for always looking out for him!