Forest W. Johnson

FOREST W. JOHNSON

Mechanicsville

Forest W. Johnson, 100, of Mechanicsville, Iowa, died Friday, March 12, 2021, peacefully at home with his family at his side. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 19, 2021, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Mount Vernon. Funeral Service: 11 a.m. Saturday, March 20, 2021, at the funeral home, by Pastor Michael Adedokun. A Masonic Service will take place during the funeral. The funeral procession will drive by the Mechanicsville United Methodist Church around 12:30 p.m. on the way to Burial at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mechanicsville, where guests may show their support to the family.

Friends and extended family are invited to watch the service via livestream. Please find the livestream link on Forest's tribute wall and share your support and memories with the family at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries.

Forest was born April 21, 1920, the second son of Graydon W. Johnson, and Lila Bee (Hayden) Johnson, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He graduated from Mechanicsville High School in 1938, then earned a teacher's degree from Iowa State University and taught in country schools in Cedar and Linn counties. During World War II, his brother, Robert, enlisted in the Army Air Corps, where he became a decorated pilot, later retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and Forest returned to farming full-time with his father, as the Johnson family dairy was deemed an essential service to supply milk to the community.

Forest joined Fremont Lodge 616 of the Masons in Mechanicsville in 1941, and became a Master Mason later that year. He was honored in 2016 for 75 years of active membership.

On Aug. 5, 1951, Forest married Jeanne Ann Ward of Cedar Rapids, in the United Methodist Church in Mechanicsville, where they remained as lifelong members. Forest and Jeanne Ann made their home on the family farm.

Forest served as president and a member of the board of the Cedar County Historical Society for many years and was instrumental in establishing a permanent home for the organization near Tipton.

Both Forest and Jeanne Ann held leadership roles in the Cedar County Chapter of the Iowa Farm Bureau and were active members during their lifetimes.

In 1955, Forest was elected as a director of St. Martin Land Company, a company co-founded by his great-grandfather. Forest served on the board until his 90th birthday in 2010.

Forest and Jeanne Ann received the Century Farm designation in 1986 from the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Forest was a steward of the land and he utilized conservationist practices early on, including no-till farming.

Forest loved farming and, upon retirement, planted and nurtured an apple orchard, marketing the apples and cider under "Forie's Apples" over the years at farmer's markets and locally in the community. Forest loved to travel with Jeanne Ann to visit family and friends, and never missed a family event or reunion. At the age of 74, Forest rode a mule down the North rim of the Grand Canyon with his daughter, Lorie, and Don Bitting. Forest loved life and will be remembered for his attention to detail and artful storytelling. He never passed up an opportunity to make a new friend.

Due to COVID concerns, the family was unable to proceed with the planned 100th birthday party in 2020. Instead, Forest was celebrated by his church and the community with a drive-by parade including fire trucks and more than 75 vehicles on April 19, 2020. A Celebration of Life will be scheduled later this year when family and friends may safely travel and attend.

Forest is survived by his daughters, Julie Johnson McLean (Brian McLean) of West Des Moines and Lorie Johnson (Don Bitting) of Mechanicsville; daughter-in-law, Tracy Hardy Johnson; granddaughters, Meredith McLean (Todd Carroll) of Des Moines, Hannah McLean of Madison, Wis., Gwyneth Tracy (Kyle) of Hopkins, Minn., and Cara Johnson (Tom Stutsman) of Frontenac, Minn.; and great-grandsons, Oscar Sawyer and Henry Johnson.

In addition to his parents, Forest was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne Ann; brother, Robert; and son, Stevens Forest Johnson, Ph.D.

Memorials may be directed to the Mechanicsville Fire and Ambulance Volunteers, P.O. Box 190, Mechanicsville, IA 52306, or the United Methodist Church, 307 East First Street, Mechanicsville, IA 52306.

The family would like to thank the wonderful care givers at Above & Beyond for their loving care, support and friendship.