Obituary of Everett Johnson

A funeral service will be held Monday, January 20, 2014 at 2:00pm at Union Memorial Church in Milford. Burial will be at Milford Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday, January 19th from 5:00-7:00pm at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. Everett passed away Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at Milford Nursing Center. The family requests memorials to Okoboji High School Athletics in lieu of flowers. Everett Leroy Johnson, son of William and Mattie (Day) Johnson, was born June 19, 1926 in Milford, IA. He attended and graduated from Milford High School in 1945. On June 2, 1945, Everett was united in marriage to Lucille H. Thuirer. They farmed and lived both south and west of Milford until they moved to town in 1987. Everett will be remembered by many for his great sense of humor, always having time for a good joke, and his enjoyment of pulling pranks on his friends and family. He had a love of farming and a skill for designing and constructing innovative equipment modifications for farming, project efficiencies and recreation, including building a pontoon boat and fully equipped travel trailer. Everett enjoyed participating in sports during his youth and supporting his family's participation in sports programs. Besides never missing a family member's participation in any sporting event, Everett contributed to the high school sports programs by constructing a baseball pitching machine and football blocking sled for team practices, built a device from an old cultivator to mark the school track, then upgraded his design to an old planter that applied the lime on the track. He also supported the school by serving as a school board member and was made honorary starter for the state track meet. After retiring from farming, Everett and Lou enjoyed traveling by motor home, spending many winters in Mission, Texas. They also enjoyed attending their grandchildren's school and sporting events and travelled many times to Brookings, S.D. to watch their grandson play basketball for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Everett was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Orville Johnson and Lucille his wife of 67 years. Left to cherish his memory are his three children, Linda (Vince) Bronson, Bruce (Marline) Johnson and Deanna (Mark) Anderson; grandchildren, Chad Naatjes (Jamie Turnbull), Ryan Naatjes, Amber (Ross) Kooiker, Travis (Juli) Johnson, Brooke (Eric) Taylor, Will (Danielle) Johnson, and Lydia and Leah Anderson; thirteen great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; sister-in-law, Lura Johnson and nieces and nephews.