Orville M. Johnson

FOREST CITY - Orville M. Johnson, age 88 of Forest City, died Monday, December 31, 2007 at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City. Funeral service will be Friday, January 4, 2008 at 10:30 AM at Calvary Baptist Church in Forest City with Pastor Douglas Farrell officiating. Burial will be at Madison Township Cemetery in rural Forest City. Visitation will be an hour prior to service at the church. Orville M. Johnson was born on the family farm in Winnebago County, Iowa on July 17, 1919, the son of Otto and Tillie (Thompson) Johnson. He attended country school near his home through the eighth grade. On April 18, 1949, Orville was united in marriage to Fern Holcomb. The couple made their home on the family farm northeast of Forest City. Orville was a thoughtful man who, over the years, devised many creative solutions to the financial challenges of farming. He retired from farming 25 years ago and in May of 2007, the couple moved into Forest City. He took trips to Wyoming and South Dakota with his friends deer-hunting. He and Fern enjoyed spending the winters in Texas and Florida and visited Mexico and Hawaii. Orville had a keen sense of humor and loved shari...[more]

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a joke with family or friends. He looked forward each day to time spent with his buddies at coffee. Orville is survived by two sisters-in-law, Myrna Oudekerk and Geneva Merchant, both of Forest City and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Duane, four sisters, Berniece Ryerson, Alvina Holcomb, Leona Knudtson and Lucille Johnson and his wife Fern, who died on December 26, 2007.