John Almburg, age 78, died Saturday, April 12, 2008 at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana after four days of intensive care following a heart attack on Tuesday. John, a long-time resident of Sugar Grove, was teaching auctioneering to a student group in Fort Wayne Indiana. Two EMTs attending the class immediately started CPR. Indiana State Senator, Dennis Kruse, who is the Dean of the auction school, was there. Senator Kruse knew that John had no family in the area so he stayed with him - even traveling in the ambulance - until his family arrived from out of state. John never regained consciousness. He taught aspiring auctioneers for over 30 years and he died doing what he loved to do.

John was born September 20, 1929 in Malta, IL to Blanche (Walker) and Ludvick Almburg. He grew up raising livestock and grain on the family farm where five generations of Almburgs - and now his son Steve - have lived. John graduated from Malta High School with the class of 1947 and from the University of Illinois in 1951 with a degree in agriculture. While in college, he was a member of the livestock judging team that won the national livestock judging championship in 1950. He continued judging livestock throughout the Midwest for FFA and 4H shows. John served in Korea with the veterinary corps, a branch of the Army, where he enlisted for 2 years.

He married Donna Hewitt at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Rochelle on Oct. 23, 1955. Early in his career, he was a meat specialist with the National Livestock and Meat Board out of Chicago. He traveled the U.S. doing television shows about cutting, curing, and cooking meat. He then served as the market reporter for WLS out of the Chicago Union Stockyards. In 1960 he attended auction school at Repperts School of Auctioneering in Decatur, Indiana. He was later offered a position at WGN Radio's Farm Service Department doing the farm show with Orion Samuelson.

While John "had a voice for radio," he is perhaps best known across the Midwest for the Almburg Auctioneering and Realty business he started in 1960. In 1968 he retired from radio work and devoted his full attention to the auctioneering and real estate business. During his lifetime, John conducted thousands of auctions and he donated his auctioneering time and talent to numerous causes over the decades. Most notably, for over 40 years, he was a livestock auctioneer at 4H auctions including the Kane County Fair, Big Rock Plowing Match, and Elburn Days. John's long career provided him the opportunity to sell the livestock from families spanning three generations. His engaging personality and dry humor made attending an Almburg auction a day of entertainment. At the time of his death, John was still an active co-owner of Almburg Auctioneering along with his son, Steve, and grandson, Andrew.

In the last 15 years, John was a frequent flyer to Scottsdale, Arizona during the cold northern months. His active social life leaves behind many good friends at area coffee shops. He was a member of La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Despite his very active life and the numerous demands upon his time, he was first and foremost a family man. John is survived by his wife of 52 years, Donna, and their four children, Steve (Anne) of Malta, IL; Shelley Almburg of Dexter, Michigan; Shari (Jay) King of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Suzanne (Craig) Anderson of Sycamore, IL. He was extremely proud of his eight grandchildren, Andrew, Eric, and Adam Almburg, Ryan, Amanda, and Kellie King and Nicholas and Neil Anderson. He loved to attend their events and no place was too far to travel. He is survived by two brothers, Fred of Malta, IL and Joseph (Phyllis) of Delavan Wisconsin and was preceded in death by two sisters, Lois and Mary. He was called Uncle by numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at Conley Funeral Home in Elburn. The visatation is Wednesday, April 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Graveside services at the Sugar Grove cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or to the family for a memorial to be established in his name.