Iver Johnson (1845-1939)

JOHNSON, NESHEIM

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 12/30/2021 at 20:13:06

From Nevada Evening Journal March 9, 1939 (page 1)

Dean of County Merchants Died After Retirement

Special to the Journal.
Roland, March 9--Less than ten days after he had retired in his usual health, from a business which he had conducted continuously for fifty-five years, Iver Johnson, 93, dean of Story county merchants, i dead today at Roland, having passed away late Wednesday afternoon from pneumonia which developed from an attack of the flu.

Funeral services for Mr. Johnson, longtime popular and successful bachelor business man, will be held Friday at 1:00 at Salem Lutheran church in Roland with the pastor Olaf Holm in charge. Burial will be in the Roland cemetery, with a delegation from Central Iowa Lodge No. 164, I. O. O. F., of which Mr. Johnson had been a member for 66 years in attendance.

As the oldest member of the local lodge, both in time of membership and age, he was presented with a sixty year jewel at a special meeting of the lodge here six years ago. "A member for 66 years, the records show that his membership had never been delinquent, although he had been in attendance at lodge but a few times since leaving Nevada 55 years ago," remarked an officer of the lodge today.

Mr. Johnson came to Nevada from Decorah in 18-- and took a position as bookkeeper and clerk in the then widely know pioneer general store of I. A. Ringheim, uncle of the present merchants of that name. He continued with Mr. Ringheim until 1894 when he went to Roland and joined with the late John Michaelson in a general store. After the retirement of Mr. Michaelson shortly afterwards he was associated with the Michaelson brothers for several years and then withdrew from that firm and started a clothing business by himself. This he had operated successfully since with M. O. Ferkin as his clerk and assistant.

Little is known here of Mr. Johnson's family. A native of Granvin, Hardanger, Norway, Europe, where he was born September 16, 1845, he came to America as a young man, stopping first in Decorah where he remained for a few years and then came on to Nevada to become connected with the Ringheim store and a student of the merchandising and business principals of Story county's then most successful merchant.

He continued those business principals through his long life and was known in the community in which he lived and served so faithfully for over half a century as a man of very fine characteristics.

Square and honest in his dealings, he was charitable, liberal in civic affairs and was known as a valued citizen. Although modest and unassuming in personal affairs he had many close and warm friendships what will long be valued.

Upon his disposal of his business interests he arranged to retain his living apartment in the building. But a few days after the change he suffered an attack of the flu and Tuesday was removed from there to the Thompson home on south Main street, where he had been a table boarder for a third of a century or more and it was there that he passed away Wednesday afternoon at 2:30.

L. J. Nesheim of Decorah, a nephew and his only known relative was notified and arrived in Roland last night to assist in funeral arrangements.