John H. Renken Jr.

John H. Renken Jr. 87, of Merrill, passed away on Wednesday December 8, 2021, at Good Samaritan Hospital, Merrill. John was born on May 12, 1934, in St. Paul, Minnesota, son of the late John and Frances (Hyland) Renken. He married Barbara L. Renken on April 4, 1981, in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. She preceded him in death on September 28, 2018. John was in the U.S Navy, which is where he spent twenty-one years of his working career. John was a proud life-long member of VFW post 3143. John and Barb traveled yearlong in their RV for 19 years. They spent time in Arizona, Mississippi, Florida, Minnesota and Colorado. They enjoyed their visits to Mississippi the most. In the 19 years that they traveled, John and Barb put almost 500,000 miles on their RVs. In addition to this John also enjoyed going to the casino. John is survived by his daughter, Teresa Renken; son, Timothy (Terrie) Renken; step-daughter, Beth Ann (Steve) Plautz; step-sons, Gary White, Robert (Tina) White, and Dean White; nine grandchildren; and fourteen great-grandchildren. John was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara L. Renken; his parents, John and Frances Renken; and step-sons, Don White and Kevin Rogers. The family wishes to thank Compassus Hospice Care and the nurses and staff at Good Samaritan Hospital for the care they offered John and his family. A service for John will be held at a later date. Taylor-Stine Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Merrill, is assisting the family. Online condolences may be made at www.taylorstinefuneralhome.com