John Varner

John Howard Varner, the fifth child of Chester Alvin and Bertie Ann Crawford Varner, was born on Sept. 5, 1954 in Bertram, Burnet County, Texas. He unexpectedly left this world in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2017 at the age of 62 years 4 months and 26 days at his home in Ingram, Kerr County, Texas.\r\n\r\nJohn's first few years of life were on the shores of Lake Travis on a large ranch in Travis Peak, Texas. He and his family then moved to Mountain Home, Texas to the Wheless Ranch and then to the Rocky Ford Ranch in Ingram, Texas where he lived out his childhood. He attended school there, and then graduated from Tivy High School in Kerrville in the Class of 1973.\r\n\r\nEarly jobs included truck driving, construction, and plumbing. John then worked for over 27 years for the Y. O. Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas as a ranch hand. There he took care of all the longhorns knowing them each by description and name and could tell, if short on count, just which was missing and would go out to find them and bring them in. It was work that he loved and was quite proud of. One of the highlights of his time at the Y. O. was meeting and visiting with Tanya Tucker in the prime of her career when she performed at one of the Y. O. Social Club parties in the mid 1980's, and then having her choose him to do the bunny hop with her as she sang. \r\n\r\nJohn was a very private, independent person who had a free spirit. On one hand he was stubborn to a fault and on the other, a gentle giant. He loved the simpler things in life: hunting for deer, varmints, and snakes, fishing, and all his little four-legged furry family members over all the years. He had a deep love of the land and the great outdoors. He spent the last ten years of his life caring for his mother and her medical needs, just as he had done for his father in his last years. He also developed a talent in the last decade for baking breads and cobblers, a talent that he inherited from his mom who was the cook at the Y. O. Ranch chuck wagon for many years.\r\n\r\nJohn spent his last day on this earth doing just what he loved best, deer hunting with his brother Junior at a place he loved, and having a good home cooked meal for supper. John's unique personality and spirit will be greatly missed by his family and friends.\r\n\r\nJohn was preceded in death by his father, Chester Varner, Sr.\r\n\r\nJohn is survived by his mother, Bertie Varner; sisters, Jo Ann Varner and Rose Mary Cika (Wayan); brothers; Dean Varner, Donald Varner (Lou); Chester Varner, Jr. (Debbie), and David Varner (Connie); niece and nephews, Katie Varner, Chad Varner and Zack Varner; and great-nephew, Vance Varner. \r\n\r\nA celebration of John's life will be held at 2 PM, Saturday, January 28, 2017 at Grimes Funeral Chapels.