Carol A. (Dudley-O'Brien) Johnson

CAROL A. (DUDLEY-O'BRIEN) JOHNSON

Center Point

Carol A. (Dudley-O'Brien) Johnson was born Friday, Sept. 13, 1946, to Quentin C. and Mary I. (Lynde) Dudley in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the oldest daughter of six children.

Her first home was in Walker, Iowa, then to the student housing Quonsets at Coe College, then to Hiawatha. She attended several different schools in the Cedar Rapids area, graduating from Jefferson High School in 1964.

On May 1, 1965, she married Ron O'Brien. To this union three sons were born. They later divorced. On June 11, 1989, she married Larry Johnson, making her home in Center Point, Iowa.

She worked the usual jobs as a kid: the Hiawatha A&W, Eagle grocery store, May's Drug and Armstrong's Department Store. She started work at the Cryovac Division of W.R. Grace in 1969 and was employed there for over 40 years.

As a girl, she trained with Dotty DePressles, a local tailor in Cedar Rapids. From this experience she learned to love hand stitching. She was an avid cross-stitcher and also a basket weaver. She belonged to the Quilting for Christ group at St. John Lutheran Church, volunteered at Gems of Hope and was on the History Commission of Hiawatha, Iowa.

Carol's earthly journey ended Nov. 29, 2021, after a 10-month bout with mesothelioma.

She is survived by her husband, Larry; sons, James D. (Michelle) O'Brien, Edward Q. (Diane) O'Brien and Joseph L. O'Brien, all of Cedar Rapids; brothers, Ernie (Sharon) Dudley of Fayetteville, Ark., Lorin Dudley of Iowa City, Iowa, Verne (Deb) Dudley of Lisbon, Iowa, and John (Peg) Dudley of Cedar Rapids; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; aunt, Maribelle Benesh; uncle, Lylburn (Betty) Dudley; special cousin, Chris (Cheryl) Samelson of Anthem, Ariz.; and many more nieces, nephews and cousins as well as special friends, Suzy Lindstrom and Donna Bogner.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Edward Dudley, and several extended family members.

Carol enjoyed road trips with Larry, especially to Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Arkansas, to visit family and friends.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, at St. John Lutheran Church, Center Point. Funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, at the church with visitation one hour prior to service. Inurnment will take place at a later date at Dunkard Cemetery, Toddville, Iowa. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Center Point, assisted the family with arrangements.

Memorials in Carol's memory may be made to St. John Lutheran Church to support the Quilting for Christ ladies group.

Please share a memory of Carol at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.