Lyle W. Johanson, 90, of Wayne formerly of Wakefield, died Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 at Providence Medical Center in Wayne.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 at Evangelical Covenant Church in Wakefield. The family will greet guests Saturday from 10 a.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be in the Wakefield Cemetery at Wakefield.
Memorials may be directed to Lyle’s family for later designation.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Lyle William Johanson was born Sept. 4, 1933 on a farm near Moorhead, Iowa to Gustaf Adolph Johanson and Mary Gladys (Trafton) Johanson. He was baptized at the Lutheran Church in Struble, Iowa and confirmed at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Emerson. Lyle graduated from Emerson High School in 1951. Lyle farmed with his dad until his father’s death in 1953.
In 1953 he married Joan Fredrickson. He lived in South Sioux City and worked at a fertilizer plant and Sioux Creek Ready Mix Plant. In the winters of 1955 and 1956, he helped take down a grandstand in Phoenix, Arizona and bring it back to what is known as Atokad Park in South Sioux City. He started farming in 1956 near Allen and then moved east of Emerson for three years.
He moved to the Wakefield area in March of 1960. Lyle purchased the farm in 1968. He raised corn, soybeans, alfalfa and especially enjoyed feeding cattle for many years. He belonged to the Evangelical Covenant Church since 1960 and served as a trustee, financial secretary, and usher. Lyle served on the township board, Dixon County Board and the Farmer’s Union Board. In 1983, he married Betty Thies. They loved polka dancing, traveling and spending their winters in Phoenix, Arizona.
Survivors include his wife, Betty; their children, Pamela Joan (Mike) Smith, Karen Sue (Lee) Clark; Dr. Cameron Thies; Kellie Ann (Erik) Plonkey; three grandchildren and many great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; granddaughter, Karlee; brothers, Lawrence Johanson and Donald Johanson; sister, Joyce Kehrberg; great-great-grandson, Angel; and many other family members.
