Aletha Johnson

Aletha Johnson, age 88, of Decorah, IA, died on Monday, June 4, 2012, at Wellington Place Nursing Home in Decorah, IA. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 9, 2012, at the First United Methodist Church, 302 West Broadway, Decorah, IA, with Rev. John Caldwell presiding. Burial will be in Phelps Cemetery, Decorah, IA. Friends may call from 3:00-7:00 p.m., on Friday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, 604 South Avenue, Decorah, IA, and also after 9:00 a.m., at the church on Saturday. There will be a VFW Women’s Auxiliary Memorial service at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening at the funeral home. Aletha Alty (McKee) Johnson was born on September 8, 1923, the daughter of James and Alty (Patterson) McKee, at home near Lansing, Iowa. Aletha attended Van Colley #4 Country School in Lansing. She attended high school in Lansing and New Albin and graduated from Lansing High School in 1941. Aletha attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls and returned to Lansing to teach at country schools near Lansing and New Albin. Aletha married Emmett Eugene Johnson on July 31, 1946 in Lansing, and to this union, two sons were born: Charles and James. They moved to Decorah in 1961, where Aletha worked at Wapsie Produce, Ben Franklin, the Gold Bond Book Store, the East End Café and for Aase Haugen Nursing Home. Aletha enjoyed gardening and tending to her flower gardens, embroidering, crocheting and playing cards. Aletha was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the VFW Women’s Auxiliary. Aletha is survived by her two sons: Charles (Diana) Johnson, Decorah, IA, and James (Jan) Johnson, Pinon Hills, CA. Four grandchildren: Stephanie (Tom) Egeland; Andrea Johnson, Jeremiah (Shelly) Johnson, and Jessica (John) Richards. Four great grandchildren: Brooke, Austin, and Nicholas Egeland, and Gabriel Richards. One sister-in-law: Evelyn McKee, Lansing, IA, along with many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Aletha was preceded in death by her parents: James and Alty (Patterson) McKee. Her husband: Emmett Eugene on Oct. 3, 1995. Her great grandson: Zachary Egeland on Oct. 13, 1995. Seven siblings: Earnest (Ada) McKee, Richard McKee, Druscilla (Louis) Johnson, Cletus (Carolyn) McKee, Devillo (Esther) McKee, Della (Robert) Reed, and Cyril “Mike” (Jeanne) McKee.