Mary Johnson

BOONE, Iowa—Mary (Eppert) Johnson, age 83, of Boone, Iowa, died Friday, May 3, 2024, of natural causes at MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Daughters Ann and Pam were by her side as she peacefully left this earth. Her body was cremated.

Visitation is from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel, 1006 6th Street, Boone. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 712 12th Street, Boone. The memorial service will be livestreamed and a link will be available under the Events Section of Mary’s obituary on the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel website. Inurnment will be in Linwood Park Cemetery, Boone.

Mary Elizabeth Johnson was born August 31, 1940 in Boone County, the daughter of D. Paul and Lucille Eppert. Mary married Charles Johnson in Luther, Iowa, on June 4, 1960. Mary and Chuck had two daughters, Andrae Jean and Pamela Kay, and raised them on the Johnson family’s Century Farm home place in Boone. Mary spent 40 plus years working at Iowa State University, retiring in 2002. Mary was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where her faith guided her life and gave her strength.

Mary baked her way into the hearts of everyone she knew. She was an avid cook and baker, with a reputation for the best cinnamon rolls brought to every family gathering. And if she was not in the kitchen baking, you could find her tending to her vegetable garden and flower beds. It was not unusual for her to have the flat bed of the pick-up truck filled to the brim from flower shopping and then spend the next entire week planting flowers throughout the family farm. And while Mary loved to be in the kitchen, she also enjoyed a good Sunday brunch or dining out with family and friends. Mary loved to try new restaurants, as well as go shopping, antiquing and to craft shows. There was not a craft show that Mary did not attend that she would tell the girls, “We can easily create that ourselves”, and as such, the craft room at the family farm could give any retail craft store a run for their money with her supplies and ambitious ideas.

Mary had a love of travel and her and Chuck were fortunate to take many trips together throughout their marriage, making it to 49 states, Canada, Bahamas, Mexico and Costa Rica. Chuck and Mary loved to take the girls camping on week long adventures all across the country and the girls have fond memories of their many trips. Mary also traveled with both daughters several times to New York City for food, fun and laughter. She went with Pam in high school to four European countries, and a year ago traveled with her niece to Jerusalem to experience the Passion Play. Closer to home, Mary enjoyed numerous trips to Indianapolis to experience the Indy 500, to Canada for fishing trips, and found a true second home in Mesa, Arizona where she would spend her winters away from Iowa for 3 months.

Sports were also a high light of Mary’s adventures – whether it was sitting in the stands at Jack Trice Stadium cheering on her beloved Cyclones in football as a season ticket holder for 50 plus years, or watching her grandkids and great grandkids on a basketball court, a softball or baseball field, at a swim meet, or on the soccer field, Mary was their biggest fan and proudest grandparent. Mary and Chuck belonged to two card club groups where they made life-long friends who they played cards with, as well as enjoyed summers of picnics, camping and biking with these friends and their families. Mary extended this love of card playing with her grandkids, where there were always card games and board games being played at family gatherings, especially during the holidays.

And speaking of holidays, we’d be amiss, if we didn’t share Mary’s love for every single holiday. Mary decorated the entire farm house each and every month for the corresponding holiday of that month. From bedspreads, to table settings, to decorations, and apparel, the house was magically transformed for the holiday. She loved to entertain, host dinner parties, celebrate birthdays, and the more people the better. She invited Iowa State graduate and foreign students to the farm every summer to experience an Iowa farm, an Iowa meal, and Iowa hospitality. And her and Chuck’s 50th wedding anniversary party in 2010 was no exception – a wonderful gathering of family, friends and laughter and a fitting tribute to a wonderful couple.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Chuck Johnson. Also, preceding Mary’s death was her family: parents, Paul and Lucille Eppert, along with 7 siblings – brothers: Robert, Wilbur, Raymond, Frank, Dale, Art, and sister, Jean. Mary is survived by her favorite eldest daughter, Ann (Jeff) Powers of North Liberty, Iowa; her favorite youngest daughter, Pam (Pete) Deacon of Johnston, Iowa; grandchildren: Ottis (Jenny) Bunning of North Liberty, Paige (Lance) Von Ahsen of Williamsburg, Maxwell, Peter John, Jr. and Riley Deacon, all of Johnston; great-grandchildren Hannah and Molly Bunning of North Liberty, and Collins Von Ahsen of Williamsburg; sisters Katherine Huber of Loveland, Colorado and Barb Lytle of Spring, Texas.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Mary’s family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com.