Fern Johnson, 99

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Fern Genevieve (Field) Johnson, 99, of Lake Mills, Iowa, died Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, at the Lake Mills Care Center in Lake Mills. She was 32 days away from her 100th birthday.
Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills, with the Rev. Steve Smith officiating. Burial will be at Salem Memorial Cemetery in Lake Mills, Iowa.
Visitation will be 4 to 6 p.m. today at Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street in Lake Mills, and again one hour prior to the service at the church.
Fern Genevieve (Field) Johnson was born on Jan. 28, 1910, to Carl and Julia (Onstad) Field on their family farm in Mount Valley Township, Iowa. She was baptized at Beaver Creek Lutheran Church, rural Joice, Iowa. Fern lived in the Joice and Lake Mills areas all her life. She attended country schools and graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1928. Fern was confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church and remained a lifelong active member. After high school, she worked at the Interstate Power Company.
On Aug. 27, 1930, Fern was united in marriage with Charles Edward Johnson at the Salem Lutheran Church parsonage in Lake Mills, and became a farmer’s wife, living on a farm southwest of Lake Mills for 17 years. From this union three children were born: Faye, Fred and Dennis. Fern enjoyed farm life, each year caring for 1,000 baby chickens and 20 cows.
The family moved into Lake Mills in 1947. Fern worked at Monk’s Grill for about 10 years where she was a cook and baker, specializing in pies. Subsequently, she was custodian of Salem Lutheran Church for almost 20 years. Charles passed away in 1966.
Fern was proud of her Norwegian heritage and worked hard to maintain family traditions. She enjoyed cooking and baking, having coffee with family and friends, sitting with neighborhood children on her porch, and crocheting many afghans and bedspreads.
She moved into the Lake Mills Care Center in July of 2007, at the age of 97, where she continued to show her humor and love of others. This past July, she was voted Queen of the Care Center and rode in the July Jubilee parade.
Fern is survived by her three children: Faye (Donald) Aamodt of Lake Mills, Fred (Roberta) Johnson of Sarasota, Fla., and Dennis Johnson of Albert Lea; four grandchildren: Debra (Gerald) Sutton of Harwood, Md., Diane (James) McGee of Home, Ark., Bryan (Alyssa) Johnson of Boston, Mass., and Kevin Johnson of Washington, D.C.; two sisters: Opal Bang of St. Paul and Virginia (Floyd) Thomas of Lake Mills.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Charles; sister, Evelyn Klett and brother, Duane Field. She is also preceded by five brothers-in-law: Ernest Klett, Milton Bang, Kenneth, Arthur, and Carroll Johnson, and four sisters-in-law: Florence Field, Tilda, Angie, and Betty Johnson.
You can contact the family with online condolences at: www.mittelstadtfuneralhome.com.