NEVERMANN, Janelle Joan (Johnson) 1936 - 2020

JOHNSON, OLSEN, NEVERMANN, JENISON, SCHRAGE

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 11/20/2020 at 22:36:40

SOURCE: MAJOR ERICKSON FUNERAL HOME OBITUARY
CONTRIBUTOR: Connie Ellis (Not related)

Janelle Joan Nevermann, age 84, of Mason City, Iowa, died on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at the Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City. Janelle was born on February 4, 1936 in Clarion, Iowa, the first child of Ervin M. and Leonora (Olsen) Johnson. She grew up on a farm near Belmond, Iowa and attended a country school through the sixth grade. She graduated from the Belmond High School in 1954 as the valedictorian of her class. Janelle
matriculated at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa in 1954, where she met her future husband LeAllen Nevermann. After two years at Luther College she taught two years in Dows, Iowa. During those two summers she attended classes at Luther and became a full time student there again. Janelle graduated from Luther ranking number one scholastically in the 1959 class.

On May 17,1959 she and LeAllen married. They spent the first year of marriage living in a one room,cold water apartment in Germany while Le was serving in the US Army. During the first five years of their marriage due to Le's military recall they lived in five different locations primarily in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, finally settling in Mason City in 1963 where they have lived ever since. They were blessed with two sons, Brian and Stuart.

Janelle was a teacher. As well as teaching in Dows, she taught GED classes for G.I.'s and at the dependents school in Dolan Barracks, Germany. In Mason City she taught English as a second language, alternative school, and many years as a substitute teacher. She was very active in her church, Trinity Lutheran in Mason City. She was a long time Sunday School teacher, a circle member, a God Squad volunteer, a board of education menber, and KCMR board member. She was also active with Habitat for Humanity, People's Food Co-op, and a Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank volunteer.

Her passion was organic gardening. There was always a compost pile; in early spring containers in the house with seeds, seedlings, and little plants for the upcoming season; and in the winter, anticipation for seed catalogs coming in the mail. Travel and sports were also interests of Janelle. She and her family visited at 48 contiguous states and the nations of Columbia, Canada, Mexico, plus many European countries. In 1989, Janelle and Le spent several days in East Germany when it was behind the iron curtain and the Berlin Wall.When it came to sports,especially baseball and basketball, she and Le were like fixtures at the Mason City High School Gymnasium and Roosevelt Field when the Mohawks were playing at home.

Janelle Joan Nevermann is survived by her husband, LeAllen; her son Brian Nevermann; sister Ardith Jenison; her brothers Ervin (Liz) Johnson, and Gordon (Jeri) Johnson; several nieces and cousins. She was preceded in death by her son Stuart; parents Ervin M. and Leonora Johnson;brother-in-law Marlin P. Jenison; nephew David P. Jenison; niece JoLynn (Jenison) Schrage and parents-in-law Freddie H. and Lorene M. Nevermann.