William Johnson 1939 - 2016

TOLMIE, JOHNSON, SEMBACH

Posted By: Connie Swearingen - volunteer (email)
Date: 6/24/2016 at 01:25:42

Sioux City Journal
21 June 2016

ASHTON, Iowa | William Johnson, 77, of Ashton died Saturday, June 18, 2016, at Sanford Senior Care Center in Sheldon, Iowa.

Memorial service will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, at Jurrens Funeral Home in Ashton, with the Rev. Dan Kunnari officiating. Visitation will be 1 p.m. until service time Tuesday, June 28, at the funeral home.

William Theodore "Bill" Johnson was born on March 5, 1939, in Sioux City, to Roscoe L. and Eleanor M. (Tolmie) Johnson. He attended Sioux City Public Schools and graduated from Central High School in January 1958.

William married Donna Jean Sembach on July 20, 1963, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sioux City. To this union, two children were born, Bill Jr. and Evie. They moved to Viborg, S.D., in 1970 and it was there that Bill accepted Jesus as his Savior and was active in Bible studies, men's prayer groups and Lay Witness Missions. In 1974, the family moved to Ashton. Bill was a diesel mechanic and also repaired vacuum cleaners and small appliances for many years, until health problems forced his retirement in 2004. Bill moved into the Sanford Senior Care Center on April 11, 2016.

Bill always enjoyed activities with his children including playing games, going for Saturday excursions, or exploring Ashton's back pits, and teaching them proper gun safety and to target shoot. As his grandchildren became old enough, Saturday excursions were great fun with them as well and were highlights for Bill, as was attending their many school music programs. Great-grandchildren were the source of much added joy in his latter years. Bill was an avid cribbage player and greatly appreciated friends Dennis DeJong and Rod Fonkert for the times they spent playing cribbage with him. He loved working jigsaw puzzles, playing various card games and working Word Search puzzles until his declining health would no longer permit it.

Those left to remember his life are his wife, Donna of Ashton; son, Bill Jr. (Joan) of Ashton; daughter, Evie Kolbeck of Sibley, Iowa; three grandchildren, Charlene (Eric) Junge of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Kathy Kolbeck (Michael King) of Sheldon and Clinton Kolbeck of Brookings, S.D.; three great-grandchildren, Lila and Nora Junge and Rylan King; sister, Karen Vermilyea of Slayton, Minn.; brother, Jim (Alice) Johnson of Sioux City; brother-in-law, Leonard (Susie) Sembach of Sioux City; six nieces; and one nephew.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a baby sister; older brother, Bob Johnson; sister-in-law, Sharon Johnson; two brothers-in-law, Bill McClain and Steve Vermilyea; and nephew, Scott Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Sanford Home Health & Hospice in Sheldon.