John David Ludwig passed away surrounded by what must have been to the nurses an overwhelming amount of family at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City on July 8, 2022.
John was born on December 29, 1949, in Okarche, Oklahoma, to Marian and Donald Joseph Ludwig. He graduated Okarche High School and signed up for the Air Force and in his words, “before the Army could draft him.” After the Air Force, he co-owned a cabinet shop in El Reno, cared for the maintenance of Holy Trinity, built air conditioners for Temtrol, and eventually retired from Pioneer Telephone as their painter and general handy man – all of this while he continued to be a “part-time” cabinet and trim carpenter.
John was a softspoken perfectionist who cared and loved more than he would ever tell. He married Karla LaRue Mayes on March 9, 1982, and proceeded to spoil her absolutely rotten for the next 40 years, three months, four weeks, and one day until the Lord said he just couldn’t anymore.
In his younger years he was a bit of fun. He loved to tell stories of making chocolate cakes as soon as he could reach the pilot light, milking cows with his siblings, hiding the old dead hens before his mom could find and cook them, shooting his sister Joan with a BB gun and paying her .25 not to tell and making his brother Ed mad just to see him turn red. He loved his brothers and sisters very much and would often talk about growing up the fourth of 10 children and how no matter what happened, he chose to love them.
John has four children. The first two he wanted so much that he hand-picked them. Amanda being the first to join the family, but not the oldest. David the second child, but the oldest. Followed by Terrell, the one he lucked into and is still pretty awesome. Then finally Halli, the one that made him decide he went too far. John was not without his faults. He did impose forced labor on the oldest three children having them sanding invisible saw marks only he could see off cabinets in his shop for $2 per cabinet. No matter how big or how small the cabinet may be, it was always $2. Meanwhile, letting the youngest frolic and watch cartoons, she may disagree.
On any given night after shutting down his table saw, turning off his sander and setting down his nail guns, he could be found sleeping off a hard day’s work in his chair with a guarantee that some western was on the TV that he was “watching.” The western channel, of course, would not be changed for anyone except a grandchild with a hug. John was a very proud man. He was proud of the cabinets he built for his customers, proud of the life he provided for his family, proud of what he built for himself and Karla. One of the things he was most proud of was his time in the Air Force. He would tell stories of Thailand, fried rice, giant lizards in his barracks, computers the size of busses, monitoring the Ho Chi Minh Trail, sending communications to the Pentagon, Hamm’s Beer and his little brother Gary trying to send his Teddy bear off to Vietnam with him. Given the chance he would walk you down his hallway to show you his commendation medal for meritorious service of Sgt. John D Ludwig, all with that very classic John smile on his face.
He is proceeded in death by his parents, Marian and Donald Ludwig; mother-in-law, Wanda Claunch; brother-in- law, Allen McCully; and nephew, Luke Yarrow.
He is survived by his spouse, Karla Ludwig of the home; son, David Ludwig (Afton); daughter, Amanda Cole and husband Chris (Norman); son, Terrell Ludwig and wife Karen (Okarche); daughter, Halli Ford and husband Robert (Okarche); brother, Wayne Ludwig and wife Dianne (Okarche); brother, Paul Ludwig (Okarche); sister, Eloise McCully (Kingfisher); sister, Joan Stone and husband Tom (Okarche); sister, Ruth Beal and husband John (Yukon); brother, Ed Ludwig and wife Joann (Okarche); brother, Kenny Ludwig (Okarche); sister, Mary Rother and husband Bob (Okarche); brother, Gary Ludwig and wife Carole (Okarche); brother-in-law, Kelly Mayes and wife Sherri (Weatherford); brother-in-law, Bret Mayes and wife Sandi (Dover); sister-in-law, Tara Kinsel and husband Jerry (Pinetop, Arizona); brother-in-law, Brad Mayes (Kingfisher); grandchildren, Kristian Ludwig, Randel Ludwig, Brooklynn Cole, Emmeline Cole, Tenley Ludwig, Karter Ludwig and Hartli Ford; as well as numerous other cousins, nieces and nephews. (There will be a test later!)
Like always John fought hard and loved harder up until the very end. His final resting place will be Holy Trinity Cemetery in Okarche, Oklahoma, with services to proceed at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Okarche on Thursday July 14 at 10 a.m. A wake will be held Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home, El Reno.
The family would love to hear your memories of a great man and requests that instead of donations take your family to dinner and enjoy each other, John would have loved that.
