Harvey D. JOHNSON

JOHNSON, ROYAL, SMIDT, WIRTJES, BUNNELL, ABBEY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/30/2010 at 11:06:37

9 March 1938 -- 23 October 1998

FOREST CITY, IA — Harvey Johnson, 60, died Friday (Oct. 23, 1998) at his home in rural Forest City.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. Doug Farrell officiating. Burial will be in Madison Township Cemetery. Visitation was held Sunday at the Petersen Lund Funeral Home.

Harvey D. Johnson was born on a farm near Forest City on March 9, 1938, the son of Carl A. and Leila (Royal) Johnson. He attended rural school and graduated from Forest City High School in 1955. In 1960, he studied for a year at Omaha Baptist Bible College. He was married to Mary Lou Smidt at the Kanawha Christian Reformed Church on June 16, 1961. Harvey continued his education at Iowa State University where he graduated in ag education in 1964. He took a teaching position at Palmer Consolidated School District in the fall of 1964. From 1965 to 1968, he worked as a sale representative for the Ciba-Geigy Chemical Corporation. Harvey and Mary Lou began farming the family farm in the spring of 1968. Harvey traveled all over the world as part of various agriculture and educational exchange programs, visiting countries in South America, Europe and the Far East. He served on the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board for nine years, the state 4-H Board for six years and the Federal Land Bank Board for 12 years. He was an active member of the Forest City Rotary Club. As a long-time member of Calvary Baptist Church, he served as deacon, choir director, Sunday school superintendent and as a member of musical small groups and community choir groups.

Harvey is survived by his wife, Mary Lou Johnson of Forest City; a son, Jason Johnson of Ames; two daughters and their spouses, Kristie and Greg Wirtjes of Forest City and Dawn and Jim Bunnell of Kansas City, Mo. He also is survived by two grandchildren, Mitchell and Trevor Bunnell; two brothers and their spouses, Ralph and Sheryl Johnson of Forest City and Lyle and Mary Johnson of Amarillo, Texas; a sister and her husband, Margaret and David Abbey of Royersford, Pa.; his father-in-law, Louie Smidt Jr. of Britt; and nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his parents.

October 26, 1998
Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette