John Waldo Ernest passed away on April 27, 2025, following a brief illness. He was at peace going home to meet his Lord and Savior.

He was born in Goshen, IN on December 29, 1953, to Dean L. Sr and Doris (Mansfield) Ernest.

He is survived by a daughter, Stephanie Marner; 2 granddaughters; 6 great grandchildren; sisters, Linda Crossman, Mary Bachert, Joyce (Turk) Hargrove; a brother Kenneth Ernest all of Goshen; sister-in-law, Rose Ernest of Powers, MI; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 18 years Cindy Waechter; his parents; a brother, Dean "Louie" Ernest Jr.; a sister, Rebecca Tepe; and a brother- in- law, Duane Tepe.

John did construction work for many years and delivered trailers across the country. He most recently worked for Tepe Excavating.

He enjoyed attending Nascar races, fishing, snowmobiling, spending summers at Baldwin Lake, and winters in Arizona. He had a sense of humor and the ability to fix almost anything. He was helpful to his sisters and will be missed.

Cremation will be handled by Billings Funeral Home in Elkhart, IN.  A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date.