John E. Warner

John E. Warner, 49, a lifelong resident of Petersburg, Indiana, and a true man of the soil, passed away on March 1, 2026. Born on June 22, 1976, he was the son of the late Patricia A. Warner and the late Charles “Ed” Warner.

John was a graduate of Pike Central High School and attended Oakland City University. With his dad as his mentor and teacher, John became a skilled welder and ironworker, eventually becoming a proud member of Ironworkers Local 103.

A country boy through and through, John believed that a man’s greatest legacy was the land he left behind. He viewed his fields not as potential sites for houses or development, but as sacred ground meant for nurturing crops and sustaining life. The land his dad left him was priceless in his world, and he was never happier than when he was out harvesting his hay fields, riding that bumpy tractor until he could no longer feel the bumps.

From the time he was able to walk, John’s life was always about whatever him and his dad were doing. Whether it was mowing, feeding cows, welding, fishing, or hunting, he was right there at his dad’s hip, learning the skills of a true man. John was the first to talk about “My Dad,” always ready with a story about the man he looked up to most. The language John used as he told those stories was only meant for the toughest of men or a sailor’s ears.

A good day for John was sitting on the deck with an ice-cold beer in his hand, his momma, and his puppy, Pickles, nearby, gazing at his growing garden. He was always so proud of the fruits and vegetables harvested by his hands. John was very proud of the life he’d built; it was on his own terms, most definitely. Toward the end, John knew his body was tired and his time here was running short. He is now at peace, reunited with his dad and momma.

He is survived by his sisters, Suzanne (Jerry) Lane, Stephanie (Brad) Onyett, and Christy (Brian) Waddell; and his beloved nieces and nephews: Matthew Lane, Clay (Paige) Lane, Andrea Onyett, and Frederick Waddell.

In memory of John, bend down and feel the earth and its renewed sense of hope. He’s finished his final harvest and lawn mowing and put his tractor and mower in the shed, resting now with the momma and dad he missed so much.