Wayne “Ole” L. Johnson
January 13, 1938-August 5, 2023
Funeral Service for 87 year old Wayne “Ole” Johnson was held on August 12, 2023 at Martin-mattice Funeral Home in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Rev. Kris Hackbart Officiated. Burial was held at the Evergreen Cemetary in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
Wayne "Ole" Leon Johnson was born on January 13, 1938, to Ernest Julius and Mary Victoria (Andersen) Johnson in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Wayne passed at home surrounded by his beloved wife and daughter after a life-long battle of heart disease.
Wayne was baptized at Bethany Lutheran Church in Emmetsburg. Wayne grew up on a farm in Great Oak Township and graduated from Emmetsburg High School in 1956 where he was an outstanding athlete in basketball, football and track and once an E-Hawk, always an E-Hawk. He attended Emmetsburg Junior College from 1956-1958 and continued to be an outstanding athlete in basketball.
Wayne married his high school sweetheart Donna Leann Skartwed on December 15, 1957. They moved to Vermillion the summer of 1958 where Wayne earned a BS Degree in Education in May of 1960. Wayne tried out for the Coyote Basketball Team and made the team, but he failed to pass the physical because of a heart murmur.
They moved to Hull, Iowa, in the summer of 1960 where he taught social studies, physical education and coached boy's basketball and baseball. In September of 1961 their first child, a son, Jeffrey Wayne was born and in May of 1963 their daughter, Julie Leann arrived and completed their million-dollar family. In the summer of 1963 they moved to Rembrandt where Wayne taught and coached girl's basketball and softball. There was not much of a softball program when he took over and what a job he did. He taught two of his players how to pitch and one of them became a member of the Hall of Fame. His team had the honor of playing the last state softball game in Hubbard, Iowa and the first state softball game in Fort Dodge, Iowa. His teams had the honor of getting 4th once and 2nd twice in the state tournament and 2nd in the Jack North Tournament and being rated number on a couple of years. Softball became a family affair with Jeffrey being the bat boy, Julie being the team mascot and Donna being his statistician. Wayne drove the school's station wagon and Donna drove their car to games loaded with the players and equipment. In 1970 they moved to Emmetsburg where Wayne went into the construction business with his brother, Leonard. He also got his real estate license. They remained in Emmetsburg until 1987 when they moved to Lost Island Lake in Ruthven. They both took up the game of golf and spent many hours on golf courses. They purchased the Thunderbird Steakhouse and Lounge and ran it for a couple of years and sold it and their lake home and moved into the town of Ruthven in 1994.
Wayne-, when younger, loved to go hunting with his father and brothers for fox, and pheasants and he also enjoyed their fishing trips. He played all kinds of cards and loved watching the Three Stooges, John Wayne and W.C. Fields movies, and any westerns. Wayne never heard a joke he didn't like and even remembered who told him the joke. He had the greatest sense of humor and kept that until the end. His greatest joy,
however, was his family and attending his children's activities and their achievements with his wife, Donna. Another great joy was when his granddaughter, Carli Leann, arrived on November 9, 2000, and he couldn't wait until she was old enough to sit while he read story after story to her cuddled up in his lap. Doing so, brought back many cherished memories of when he had read to his own children.
He was a huge Iowa Hawkeye fan and so enjoyed watching their games, especially football. He enjoyed all the other Iowa teams just as long as they weren't playing the Hawkeyes. The Minnesota Vikings was his favorite NFL team for many years and he had so hoped they would win a Super Bowl.
Left to cherish the memories are his beloved wife Donna of 65 years, daughter, Julie, and granddaughter, Carli. Also left to cherish the memories are his brother Harold Johnson, brother-in-law Darrell Curry, sister-in-law Judy Johnson and numerous nephews and nieces and friends.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Mary Johnson, his son, Jeffrey Johnson, brother, Gustav Johnson, his sister and brother-in-law Harry and Seiri Hilton, his brother and sister-in-law, Leonard and Darlene Johnson, brother, Victor Johnson, sister-in-law, Sandi Johnson, nephew Kenton Hilton, his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Emil Skartwed and Dorothy Skartwed, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Edwin and Dolores Coughenour, sister-in-law Lucille Curry, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Wayne and Patsy Skartwed.
Rest in peace beloved husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, brother-in-law, and friend, as you fought a valiant battle and your fight is now over. God's richest blessings to our gallant Warrior and always our Hero, love always
