Duane Clarence Johnson

Duane Clarence Johnson, the son of Clarence and Leona L. (Christensen) Johnson was born December 3, 1938, at his parents’ home in rural Exira, Iowa and died September 15, 2016, in Jacksonville, Florida due to heart and kidney failure at the age of 77years, 9 months, and 12 days.
Duane was baptized and confirmed at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton, Iowa. He attended Rural School #4 north of Kimballton then worked and lived on different farms around the county.
On June 25, 1957, he was joined in holy matrimony to Ramona M. Bintner at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Exira, Iowa. He was a proud father of 3 children: Ronald Duane, Rodney Allen, and Cindy Lynn. Duane worked for Herberger Construction building many of the bridges in Iowa that are still used today. He would spend many days away from his family during the week, but always made sure to be home on the weekends to help his children with school work and things that needed done around the home. During the summer when his children were on vacation from school, the family would travel to the construction sites to be with him. After doing this for 22 and one half years, Duane decided it was time for a change. He and his wife started their own business and Johnson Antiques was born. Together they would spend the next 35 years traveling to approximately 38 different states selling the antique furniture they would refinish. They made many lifelong friends along the way. In 2011, Duane and his wife Ramona decided it was time to retire. They settled in the small town of Holopaw, Florida a suburb of St. Cloud, Florida on the 2 acres of land they had purchased earlier. Duane loved to work on his yard and tend to his garden. They were very active in the Holopaw community and were instrumental in getting the Holopaw Community Center built. Duane loved to play Bingo and he and his wife would go a couple times a week to play.
Duane was a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St Cloud and also a member of the Knights of Columbus. He and his wife would attend the local church group there, where they would play cards and Dominos. Everyone would bring some kind of dessert or snack to eat. Duane would always bake some kind of dessert and everyone would wait in anticipation to see what he would bring that day. Duane had always wanted a boat of his own to take his family waterskiing. His wife told him if he wanted a boat, he would have to quit smoking to pay for it. Duane tossed the cigarettes into the trash and never touched them again. He bought the boat and he and his family spend many days on the water. Later Duane and his children developed a love for motorcycles. They each got motorcycles and would go throughout Iowa camping and riding the trails. In 2013, Duane and his wife took the trip of a lifetime to Alaska. They drove from Florida in the camper they purchased, spending 5 months traveling throughout Alaska and parts of Canada. They love to send pictures via email and Facebook of the many places they visited and people they met along the way.
Duane was preceded in death by his parents and Ramona’s parents; his sisters Mary Lou Johnson and Elaine Joy Stanley; his brothers-in-law Nick Bintner and Wilfred Bintner; and sister-in-law Gertrude Bintner.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Ramona Johnson of Holopaw, Florida: his children: Ronald and wife Brenda Johnson and Rodney Johnson all of Pleasantville, Iowa, and Cindy and husband Bill Tebbetts of Jacksonville, Florida; his grandchildren Stephanie Wild and partner Bobby Lang and their children Trenton and Ryker of Pleasantville, Iowa, Nicole and husband Geoff Jones and their children Caylor and Creyton of Pleasantville, Iowa, Daniel Johnson of Portland, Oregon, Caleb Johnson of Pleasantville, Iowa, Mike and wife Autumn Tebbetts and their children Jude and Brena of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Jason Tebbetts of Jacksonville, Florida; his sisters-in-law Avis Bintner Exira, Iowa, and Agnes and husband Eldon Riesgaard of Avoca, Iowa; his brothers-in-law Arnold and wife Lorraine Bintner of Exira, Iowa, and David Stanley of Orlando, Florida; special friends John and wife Crystal Weidner of Rhode Island and Dan and wife Sheila Stone pf St. Cloud, Florida; nieces, nephews, other relatives and great friends.
The family will meet with friends on Friday, October 21, 2016, at 7:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira, Iowa. The Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted by Father Chris Fontanini of Indianola, Iowa on October 22, 2016, at 10:30 A.M at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Exira, Iowa. Inurnment will be in the Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery in Exira, Iowa.