John Joseph Shafer, age 79, a former resident of Mapleton, Kansas and more recently of Pleasanton, Kansas, passed away Sunday, February 1st, 2026, at his home. He was born on January 12th, 1947, in Kansas City, Kansas, the son of Buster and Margaret (Paddock) Shafer. John served with the United States Navy where he was stationed onboard the USS Forrestal. After receiving a medical discharge, John returned to the Kansas City area. With the middle name Joseph and a past that included more than one Mary, John’s journey eventually led him to Jo, whom he married in November of 1978 — the partnership that anchored the rest of his life. He was united in marriage to Arlene Jo Hart on November 10th, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Throughout their marriage, John and Jo lived in several small towns, but Kansas City always kept calling them back until finally in 1993, when they moved to Mapleton, Kansas where they remained until 2023 when they moved to Pleasanton, Kansas. John spent most of his life behind the wheel of a truck. He drove for construction and concrete companies, waste management services and for a short time even drove a school bus, but John was also an entrepreneur at heart. He built his own company Precision Mudjacking and Pressure Grouting where he employed mostly family. John enjoyed old cars, riding motorcycles, watching war documentaries, and spending time with family. Many memories were made at annual Memorial weekends and playing the game Axis & Allies with his family. John even constructed his own oversized game board. He also liked working on woodworking projects with his grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Jo, of the home; his eight children, Vicki (Herndon) and husband Reinaldo Maldonado of Overland Park, Kansas, Paul and wife Brenda Herndon of Parsons, Kansas, John of Lebanon, Missouri, Tammy (Shafer) Ashwood of Waynesville, Missouri, Sonja (Shafer) and husband Michael Stroble Paola, Kansas, Travis and wife Stacey Shafer of Crescent, Iowa, Crystal (Shafer) and husband Vincent Warren of Winfield, Kansas, Danielle Shafer and partner Eddy Miller of Pleasanton, Kansas; three adopted daughters, Brenda Shafer of Fort Scott, Kansas , Shannon Renee of Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, and Melissa Bailey also of Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; twenty-six grandchildren, twenty-nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. Also surviving is a brother, Kevin Michael Shafer and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. John was preceded in death by his parents, Buster and Margaret Shafer, his son, Jaime Joe Shafer, a brother, David Lee Shafer, and four grandchildren, Makayla Marie Margaret Shafer, Scott Allen McMannus Jr, Timothy Wayne Shafer, Steven Wayne Brewster.
The family will receive visitors from 5 to 7 PM, Friday at the Cheney Witt Chapel in Fort Scott, Kansas. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM, Saturday, February 7th at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial with military honors will follow at the Mapleton Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Mapleton Park and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, PO Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.