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John Paul Weber is free. He died on Sept. 3, 2019. He was an amazing man and he lived a seventy-six year adventure. He was raised in Hialeah, FL and earned the Eagle Scout award at the age of 13. He served four years in the Air Force based in Tacoma, Washington. John moved back to Miami and graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Anthropology. He did communication work with dolphins and killer whales. In 1968, while fishing on Biscayne Bay, he looked at the Miami skyline and realized that civilization cannot endure if humans don't change their ways. He decided to go back to the land, eventually settling near Long Prairie, MN. He built his house, cooked on a woodstove, pumped his water, and read by kerosene lamps. While there he returned to school and got a degree in psychology from St. Cloud State.

In 2003, he was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He went through the treatments successfully, beating all odds. He did several presentations at schools around MN, encouraging students not to smoke. In 2004, John and Kathy moved to the Longville, MN area. Together, they purchased land and proceeded to farm organically potatoes and blueberries. He was internationally respected in the field of energy sustainability. Many of his essays were used in college classes. John was known for his loaves of homemade bread.

John read voraciously, loved passionately, and spoke honestly.

John is survived by Kathy Semotuk Wagner, his partner of nineteen years, her six children and ten grandchildren, and his four-legged companion, Fly. He will be greatly missed.

Arrangements were handled by Dennis Funeral Home/Midwest Cremation Association of Walker.

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