John Walter Skinner, 85

CENTREVILLE, Md. - John Walter Skinner of Centreville died at his home of natural causes on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007. He was 85.

Born Sept. 30, 1921, near Sudlersville, he was the son of the late, Noah M. and Anna Mae Moore Skinner.

Mr. Skinner grew up on a farm near Barclay.

He graduated from Sudlersville High School in the class of 1938 and worked with his father on the family farm.

On Nov. 16, 1940, Mr. Skinner married the former Louise Sparks Walls, and he then worked on the Walls Family Farm at Ingleside, where he was a dairy farmer until his retirement in 1989.

He was a member of the Farm Bureau, a 50-year member of the Interstate Milk Producers and Atlantic Milk Producers and the Bowling Hall of Fame.

Mr. Skinner bowled for nearly 60 years.

He was a life member of the Holstein Association, St. Paul"s United Methodist Church, Ingleside, where he was very active.

Mr. Skinner"s other past times were golfing, fishing and gardening and spending his winters in Florida.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, James Hubert Skinner and Noah M. Skinner Jr.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by four sons, John W. "Jerry" Skinner Jr. of Lincoln, Eugene L. Skinner of Cambridge, Donald W. Skinner of Ingleside and Glenn A. Skinner of Lincoln, Del.; a daughter, Janet L. Skinner of Centreville; a sister, Shirley S. Cornell of Downingtown, Pa.; nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., 408 S. Liberty St., Centreville, where friends may call an hour prior to the service and from 6-8 p.m. Friday.

Burial will be privately held in Church Hill Cemetery, Church Hill.

Instead of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Paul"s United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 63, Ingleside, MD 21644.