Leonora R. (Olsen) JOHNSON

JOHNSON, OLSEN, RASMUSSEN, NEVERMANN, JENISON, KNUTSON, LEICK, SCHRAGE, GESTELAND

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/8/2007 at 18:04:30

January 4, 2007

Leonora R. Johnson, 96, of Belmond, died on Wednesday, December 27, 2006, at the Wright Medical Center Hospice Unit in Clarion. Funeral services were held on Saturday, December 30. at the Trinity Lutheran Church, Belmond. Rev. Troy Flibsen officiated at the 3:00 p.m. service. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Leonora R. Olsen, was born on December 26, 1910 at Blair, Nebraska, the daughter of Julius and Dora (Rasmussen) Olsen. At an early age she came to Iowa with her parents and lived in various communities in Franklin and Wright counties. In 1926, the family moved to Belmond where she finished high school, graduating with the Class of 1928. Leonora then attended Waldorf College, where she studied to be an educator. After teaching for a few years following college she married Ervin Johnson on June 15, 1934, at Holmes. To this union four children were born. After the children were grown, Leonora returned to her teaching career at various schools around north Iowa for some years. When Ervin retired from farming in 1972, they moved to Kanawha and lived there until Ervin's death in 1985. Leonora then returned to live in Belmond and in 1995 moved to the Belmond Community Retirement Center. She lived there until becoming a resident of the Belmond Health Care Center in April 2005. Throughout her life Leonora followed her ambitions and belief in lifelong learning and education. She had even taken various adult education classes in her 80's and several of her family members also went on to pursue careers in education. Her life was filled with special occasions and times spent with her family and friends. Leonora was very active in the church activities of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond where she was a long time member. She enjoyed making hundreds of quilts with the church ladies for Lutheran World Relief and had been active in the church circle. During her later years she enjoyed being a member of the Belmond Senior Citizens and participating in many of the activities of the retirement community.

She is survived by two daughters, Janelle Nevermann and husband, LeAllen of Mason City and Ardith Jenison and husband, Marlin of Urbandale; two sons, Ervin Johnson and wife, Liz of Mankato, Minnesota and Gordon Johnson and wife, Jeri of Westby, Wisconsin; a sister, Judith Knutson of San Antonio, Texas; eight grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; three sisters, Dagny, Helen and Priscilla; two brothers, Harold and Philip; and two grandsons.

© Wright County Monitor 2007

Leonora R. Johnson, 96, of Belmond, died on Wednesday, December 27, 2006, at the Wright Medical Center Hospice Unit in Clarion. Funeral services were held on Saturday, December 30, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond, with Rev. Troy Pflibsen officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Leonora, the daughter of Julius and Dora (Rasmussen) Olsen, was born on December 26, 1910 at Blair, Nebraska. At an early age she came to Iowa with her parents and lived in various communities in Franklin and Wright counties. In 1926 the family moved to Belmond where she finished high school, graduating with the Class of 1928. Leonora attended Waldorf College where she studied to be an educator. After teaching for a few years, Leonora married Ervin Johnson on June 15, 1934 at Holmes. After their children were grown, Leonora returned to teaching at various schools around north Iowa. When Ervin retired from farming in 1972 they moved to Kanawha, until his death in 1985. Leonora returned to live in Belmond, and in 1995 moved to the Belmond Community Apartments. She became a resident of the Belmond Health Care Center in 2005. Throughout her entire life Leonora followed her belief in life-long learning. She took various adult education classes in her 80's, and several of her family members also went on to pursue careers in education. Her life was filled with special occasions and times spent with her family and friends. She will be remembered as a happy and content lady who enjoyed the simple things of life. She enjoyed writing and receiving letters from her family, and they will cherish the wisdom and strength she shared with them. She loved to read, work crossword puzzles, play games, quilt and sew. Leonora was very active at the Trinity Lutheran where she was a long time member. She helped make hundreds of quilts with the church ladies for Lutheran World Relief, and had been active in a church circle. During her later years she enjoyed being a member of the Belmond Senior Citizens.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sisters, Dagny, Helen and Priscilla; brothers, Harold and Philip; and grandsons, David and Stuart. Survivors include her daughters, Janelle (LeAllen) Nevermann of Mason City and Ardith (Marlin) Jenison of Urbandale; sons, Ervin (Liz) Johnson of Mankato, Minnesota and Gordon (Jeri) Johnson of Westby, Wisconsin; sister, Judith Knutson of San Antonio, Texas; granddaughters, Terri (Don) Leick, Jody (Dave) Schrage and Kristin (Andy) Gesteland; grandsons, Brian Nevermann, Mike (Carolyn) Johnson, Steve (Danette) Johnson, Craig (Lori) Johnson and Kevin (Sarah) Johnson; and great-grandchildren, Jordan, Taylor, Christopher, Kaitlyn, Brianne, Turner, Jessica, Lacy, Christopher, Kate, Allison, Jacob, Ellen, Audra, Sam, Grace and Kasey.

January 2, 2007
©Belmond Independent 2007