Kenneth Laverne Johnston, 05 Jun 1933 - 02 Feb 2019

JOHNSTON, HAKEMAN, JAMES, WAGNER, VANTOMME, RICHARDS

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 1/13/2020 at 14:12:52

Kenneth Johnston, age 85 of Victor, died on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas, where he wintered for several years.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday February 11th at the Victor Baptist Church with the Rev. Dan Andrews officiating. Interment with military honors will be held at Victor Memorial Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Victor American Legion.

Visitation with the family present will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Smith Funeral Home in Victor.

Memorials may be designated to the Kenny Johnston Memorial Fund, mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 485, Victor, Iowa 52347.

Kenneth Laverne Johnston, the son of Theodore and Gladys (Hakeman) Johnston, was born on June 5, 1933 on his parent’s farm near Chelsea, Iowa where he was raised. “Flash”, as classmates knew him, graduated from the Chelsea High School as class President with the class of 1951.

Kenny was united in marriage to Arlene James on August 22, 1953 in Grinnell, Iowa and to this union was born three children, Dennis, John and Patricia. He honorably served in the United States Army and in July of 1954, he was stationed at Port of Whittier in Alaska, where he underwent intensive field training and was in charge of the large equipment branch.

Following his honorable discharge, Kenny returned home and he and Arlene farmed near Grinnell. In 1960 at the age of 26, Kenny purchased farmland and a home outside of Victor. By 1965, they became owners of the Victor Café until 1977. He was also a self-employed hog buyer for 8 years and did custom combining for area farmers.

Kenny was a member of the Victor American Legion and the Jaycees. He loved dancing, spending time with his friends, walking in parades as Uncle Sam, and the trips he took to Canada to go Walleye fishing for many years.

Kenny is survived by his children, Dennis (Liz Gavriloaia) Johnston of Victor, Pat (Greg) Wagner of Homestead, Iowa and John (Stacy) Johnston of Victor; 7 grandchildren; and 5 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Arlene in 1988; wife, Dottie (VanTomme) Johnston in 2004; and companion, Bobbi Richards in 2018.

Smith Funeral Home website, an abbreviated version published in The Gazette on February 8, 2019