Johnson, Clifford Emil 1907-2001

JOHNSON, PETERSON, PETTERSSON

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 9/7/2008 at 21:11:07

AKRON, Iowa -- Clifford Emil Johnson, 94, of Akron died Sunday, Sept. 23, 2001, at Akron Care Center.

Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Akron, with the Rev. Curtis Matson officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery. Visitation will be 2 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7:30 p.m., at Schroeder Funeral Home in Akron.

Clifford Emil Johnson was born May 31, 1907, on a farm just south of Akron, the son of Gustav and Hulda (Pettersson) Johnson. He attended rural Tucker's School and Akron schools, graduating from Akron High School in 1925.

He married Irma R. Johnson on June 26, 1936, in Sioux City. She preceded him in death on April 12, 1994.

Following high school, Mr. Johnson worked as a farm hand, did road maintenance and was employed at the Akron Feed Mill for 10 years. He worked at the Akron Co-op Elevator, where later he was named general manager. Mr. Johnson moved to Sheldon, Iowa, where he was the general manager of the Farmers Co-op and was plant superintendent of the Big 4 Co-op Processing Association, now Land-O-Lakes, where he retired in 1972.

Mr. Johnson was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sheldon, was a member and served as president of Sheldon's Kiwanis Club. In his free time, he enjoyed bowling, golf and spending time gardening in his large strawberry beds and fruit trees. After returning to Akron in 1994, Mr. Johnson enjoyed the Akron Senior Center and took part in the Akron Lion's Club. After entering the Akron Care Center, Mr. Johnson played the yellow and purple bells with the Akron Care Center Bell Ringers.

Mr. Johnson is survived by two daughters and their husbands, Sylvia and Fred Hawker of Greene, Iowa, and Ellen Kay and Walt Gower of Duluth, Minn.; grandchildren, Devin and Wendy Hawker of North Hollywood, Calif., Kara and Kurt Vander Wiel of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Ross and Sarah Hawker of Cedar Falls, David Gower of Austin, Texas, Stephen and Sara Gower of Seattle, Wash., and Sarah Gower of Sauk Rapids, Minn.; great-grandchildren, Logan, Caleb and Ethan Vander Wiel, Hannah and Grace Hawker, Lauren Hawker and Nicholas Gower; two sisters, Lois Decker of Sparta, Wis., and Phyllis Frisk of Akron; two brothers and their wives, Arden and Alta Johnson and Roger and Phyllis Johnson, all of Akron; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Joyce Anne, who died four days after birth; and two brothers-in-law, Alvin Frisk and John Decker.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal--part of the Darrell E. Obituary Collection