65372_Floyd Austin_Johnson
Clear Lake — Floyd Austin Johnson, 88, of Clear Lake, died Sunday, August 18, 2013, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minn.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, August 23, at Zion Lutheran Church, 112 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, with visitation one hour before at 10 a.m. Pastor Dean Hess will officiate. Inurnment will be at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Opportunity Village, Zion Lutheran Church or the donor’s choice.
Floyd was born June 13, 1925, in Kensett, to Merrill and Amanda (Sorenson) Johnson. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church and was a longtime member of Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake. Floyd attended rural school in Kensett.
Floyd enlisted in the Army and was with the 42nd engineer battalion where he worked as a heavy equipment operator building roads and runways in Korea. He was honorably discharged on December 31, 1946.
Floyd married Norma Jean Hanson on February 27, 1954. He was a lifelong farmer, and after they were married she farmed alongside him until they retired in 1987.
Floyd’s greatest joy was his family. He had a zest for life and a wonderful sense of humor. No one laughed harder at a joke, or told one better, than he did. For many years he and Norma enjoyed wintering in Arizona. He enjoyed having coffee with the “hearing impaired” group. He collected antique tractors and had an encyclopedic knowledge of anything related to a two-cylinder John Deere tractor.
Floyd is survived by his wife of 59 years, Norma; three children, Mark Johnson of Clear Lake, Kathy (John) Hendricks of Minneapolis and Karen (Dean) Jurgens of Thornton; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Josh (Nicole) Johnson (daughter Harper) of Rogers, Minn., Jeremy (Breanna) Johnson (daughter Hallee) of Mason City, and Jacob Johnson, of Clear Lake; three step-granddaughters and five step-great-grandchildren, Elizabeth (Joel) Mulford (children Megan, Maverick, Isabella and Chloe) of Ankeny, Alyssa Clausen (daughter Ava) of Mason City, and Amanda (Nathan) Fink of Johnston, Iowa; two brothers, Amil and Marlin Johnson, both of Clear Lake; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Frances Doran; one brother, Wallace Johnson; two sisters-in-law, Helen Johnson and Joanna Johnson; and three brothers-in-law, Harold Doran, Roy Hanson and Glen Hanson.
Floyd was blessed with a kidney transplant that worked perfectly for 26 years. At Mayo, no transplant of his type has lasted longer. In gratitude for this gift, he donated his body to the Mayo Medical Clinic.
Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, 641-357-2193, ColonialChapels.com.