John Dennis Greaves, Sr.

John Dennis Greaves Sr., 97 of Walden passed on November 26th 2024 at home with family at his side.

John was born in North Walden on November 20, 1927 to Phillip and Emma (Barnett) Greaves. Soon after birth the family moved to a small farm in Walden near the railroad underpass on rt 15. John would often ride his pony to the Heights School where he finished through 8th grade, then attended Cabot High school. 

After high school John purchased his first automobile, a bright red 1948 Chevrolet convertible. He worked on and off the farm in Walden in those years. He enjoyed driving dump truck for his father for road construction projects around the Northeast Kingdom. He began courting his loving wife of 62 years, Claire Brosseau, who had moved to the Heights in the early 40’s. When he arrived to pick her up in that red convertible, her father had some doubts on what John’s intentions with his daughter might be. Whatever the intention was, it worked! John and Claire married on April 18th 1953. 

John bought his Ford farm tractors and John Deere crawler that remain at Twin Maple Farm today. He and his father would spend days in the woods cutting logs that would become the new state-of-the-art 52 stall dairy barn built in 1956, just in time for the birth of their first daughter, Therese. It was well into November that year they got the last of the hay in the barn. He kept Jersey cows for their stature and high butter fat content. John and Claire won many awards, including Vermont Jersey Breeders Association’s Senior Breeder and had his prize jerseys featured in Jersey Journal on several occasions. By the late 70’s John was joined on the farm by his two sons. Den eventually left the farm to pursue carpentry while Perley stayed continuing the farming legacy the Greaves family has been a part of for many generations.

In 1988 John and Claire built the house they would spend the rest of their time in. Claire kept the garden with John’s help. He was always there to fertilize or till and enjoy the fruits of their labor. In the basement, he amassed a tremendous woodworking shop where he spent winters crafting high quality furniture. Most were built from trees he cut off the farm. John and Claire took several trips: many to Florida to spend time with his cousins Marvin and Malcolm, some to Maine and even to the John Deere factory in Moline, Ill. 

John spent his life doing what he loved with the lady he loved more than words can say. Claire passed in 2016 while he was at her side. In the later years, John could be seen out and about checking on family and friends and keeping up on what was happening in town. He loved to read and research history, mostly genealogy. He was also quite generous: donating a veteran memorial at the Heights cemetery and the old post box from when Walden had its own post office.

John is survived by his five children. Therese, Den (John Jr.), Janice and husband Tom Mcfarland, Janet and husband Wendell Carlson and Perley and wife Carolyn. He leaves nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Claire, his parents, and siblings Marjorie (Norman), Frank, and Clarence. 

Calling hours will be held on Monday, December 2, 2024 from 6-8pm at the des Groseilliers Funeral Home, 97 Church Street in Hardwick. A funeral service will take place Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 11am at the Walden United Methodist Church, 109 Noyestar Road in Walden.

The Interment Service will be held at the Walden Heights Cemetery on Friday, May 23, 2025 at 1pm. John's family requests that those who will be in attendance, please arrive at the cemetery by 12:45 to greet the procession of tractor and wagon. All are invited for a reception gathering at the farm immediately following burial.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children at https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/ or The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) at https://help.dav.org/

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