A tribute to my best friend for 76 years

“Friendship is trust, companionship, support, mutual love and shared joy.”

When I was 9 years old, John Adams moved to a home one block away, and we immediately became friends. We attended the same schools for 12 years. As youth, we rode bikes, hiked Tubbs Hill, swam in the lake and created many adventures.

As young entrepreneurs, we decided to make some money mowing lawns for the neighbors. We loaded the lawn mower into a wagon, pulled it with our bikes and went door to door mowing lawns for one dollar. We also waxed family cars for small amounts of money.

In high school, we shared two sports: track and football. John signed up as the track team's manager and loved practicing the high jump. The coach spotted him and said, “I didn’t know you could high jump.” John replied, “I didn’t either.” 

The coach recruited him. John won many events and went to state in his senior year. We were roommates at the tournament and told not to leave our rooms. John and I were hungry and spotted a McDonald's down the road, so I squeezed through the bathroom window, bought hamburgers and milkshakes and squeezed back through the window. Everything with John was more memorable.

After college and serving in two different branches of the service, we both returned to CDA and joined our family businesses, Runge Furniture and Adams Tractor. We spent years discussing business and using each other as confidants.

We both got married (were in each other's weddings), had children and our families loved doing everything together. We took vacations together, spent time at the lake, skied and played baseball in the field behind my house. Our families were very fortunate when John purchased a house next to ours. John's three boys and our three girls declared themselves as the “Brady Bunch.” John and I loved each other's children like our own.

We both shared the love of projects and creating. Together, we spent hours building a wall in John’s home, laying carpeting, cutting down trees on the building site of my new home, nailing the subfloor and leveling the land for the driveway.

We also thought we would save money by buying a logging truck full of logs (which were dumped on our land) and cutting and splitting them for firewood. The kids did not appreciate having to carry the wood to each of our homes.

Everyone loved John! He always smiled, was friendly, very witty and so genuine.

His trademark was a new joke every time he saw a friend. He always laughed so hard at his own jokes, which added to the fun. One night, my wife was hosting a bridal shower for a friend, and John showed up at the door, adorned in a bathrobe and hair net, carrying a bottle of shampoo. He came in and said he heard there was a “shower” at our home. What a character!

John was thoughtful and optimistic, making him an attraction to all who knew him. He had a calm, relaxed, easygoing demeanor. We were so honored to attend the ceremony when he received the honor of “Citizen of the Year.” So deserving of someone who gave so much to the community he loved so deeply.

As we aged, we talked on the phone three times a week and attended a luncheon with other men we admired. John always loved to drive to explore some area and chat for at least one to two more hours after the luncheon.

John often called to check in on how we were and to make sure we were safe. He gave us a new, powerful blower to help us keep the driveway clean, and he felt I needed a better tractor to mow our field and clear snow from the driveway. One day, we came home and suddenly found a brand-new Kubota in our driveway. His thoughtful love for our family was always a priority.

We will miss John, but memories will be with us forever. 

“Because a best friend isn’t just someone you love — it’s someone who becomes a part of who you are. True friendship isn’t a coincidence, it grows from shared moments, trust and loyalty.”

    John Adams and Jim Runge when they were young.