John H. Haffner

John H. Haffner, age 82, of rural Rose City, passed away on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at Alomere Health in Alexandria.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Lind Family Funeral Home in Alexandria with Rev. Ralph Erickson officiating. Private family interment will take place at the Parkers Prairie Cemetery, next to his brother and parents.

The visitation is 5-7 p.m., Friday, April 4th, at Lind Family Funeral Home in Alexandria and will continue one hour prior to the service.

John Herman was born on April 20, 1942, one of nine children, to William and Anna (Thompson) Haffner in Blackduck. The family moved countless times during his childhood, leading him to attend several schools—five years in Deer Creek, four years in Missouri, and ultimately graduating from Parkers Prairie High School in 1960.

Over the course of his life, John held several jobs. He worked as an artificial inseminator for Consolidated Breeders and drove semi-truck for Dahlen Transport, hauling fuel and 3M products. In 1962, he began part-time work with the Alexandria Police Department, launching a 34-year career in law enforcement where he rose to the rank of sergeant. He also served six years in the Army National Guard.

John had a deep love for helping others. He was always looking for ways to make life better or easier for people who were going through hard times. He loved working the land and took great pride in farming—whether it was his own acres or rented ones. The work ethic and dedication instilled in him from a young age stayed with him through retirement from the police force in 1996 and from farming in 2020. He often remarked how fortunate he was to have had fulfilling jobs, and felt it was the right time to step away when technology began to take over.

In addition to farming, John had a passion for horses, especially the Appaloosa breed, drawn to their unique coat patterns. He began breeding mares and eventually foaled over 175 babies, which found homes from coast to coast and even into Mexico.

His hobbies included hunting, snowmobiling, and reading The Classic Canary, always on the lookout for equipment or livestock that could be put to use—or turned into a little extra income. He also loved cruising around in his side-by-side, checking in on neighbors to see if he could lend a hand (and maybe be a little nosey).

John had a big heart and adopted four children. He married Cindy Korkowski in 1993, and together they farmed in Alexandria, Clarissa, and Rose City.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Eugene, Alvin, Calvin, Ray, and Auggie; and sister, Florence.

John is survived by his wife of 32 years, Cindy of Rose City; two sons, Roger (Sheila) Haffner of Alexandria and Will (Becky) Haffner of Eagle Bend; two daughters, Melinda Haffner of Indianapolis, Indiana and Laura Haffner Oakes, North Dakota; 10 grandchildren, Quenton, Carson, Graham, Ben, Greta, Heather (Eric) Tyulyandin, Amee, MacKensie, Ocean, and Ethan; brother, Gary (Greta) Haffner of San Juan, Texas; sister, Lila (Ron) Zimney of Parkers Prairie; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Parkers Prairie Elementary School Library for Farming & Agriculture or Law Enforcement books. Memorials can be made to: ISD 547 (memo line: Elementary School Library), mailed to: P.O. Box 46, Parkers Prairie, MN 56361