Josephine Johnson

Josephine Johnson, age 97, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 2nd, 2026 at Westview Acres Care Center in Leon, Iowa.

Alice Josephine Wilson was born to John and Allie Judd Wilson on October 24th, 1928. She spent all her younger years growing up in Decatur County in Woodland township near Hog Creek. She was welcomed into the Wilson family by her three older brothers and one older sister. Josephine attended Pleasant View school. She had three different teachers, one of them was her own brother who taught her 7th and 8th grade class. She then attended 9th and 10th grade in Lineville High School where, because of the distance between home and school she had to get a room where she was away from home during the week. Her family later moved north of Woodland, so she finished her junior and senior years at Garden Grove High School, where she graduated. It was special to her because she could live at home and ride the bus to school. During her time at Garden Grove, she met a wonderful guy named Willard Johnson. He became important in her life and when he came home from the Navy they were married and spent all but seven years farming in Decatur County.

Josephine attended college to further her education and begin her career as a teacher. She became a rural schoolteacher at the early age of seventeen and because of her age, she had to have a substitute in her classroom with her for two months until she turned 18 years old. She not only did the teaching, but she also built the fires, cleaned the school building, and carried water. She received a bachelor's degree from Drake and a master's degree from Kirksville College. Her college classes were on the weekends and during the summer, so she was able to help Willard with the farming and continue teaching.

In 1954 Miss Josephine, as she was known at that time, started teaching kindergarten in Lineville and was there for 15 years. She then decided to try something different and became the first Head Start Director for SCICAP. She enjoyed that experience but missed the classroom. So, in 1970 she became a 4th grade teacher at Wayne schools which at that time was in Allerton, where she was known as Mrs. Johnson. The next year she found herself back in the kindergarten classroom at Wayne Elementary in Corydon. She taught there until her retirement.

Mount Olive Church was an especially important part of Josephine's childhood. This is where her family were active in attending and where Josephine accepted the Lord as her Savior as a young girl. Josephine was a devout Christian, and a faithful servant and spent all her years attending church, studying the Word of God, sharing her love of Christ with others and being a true example to those around her of what it should look like (her beautiful smile shined) to be a child of God. She attended the Assembly of God Church in Lineville and was continually active in her church before moving to Leon.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Willard; son, Willard Johnson, Jr.; brothers, John, Jr., Kenneth, and Hubert Wilson; sister, Elaine Collins; and nephew, Jerry Bowles.

Josephine is survived by many nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, March 13 at the Assembly of God Church, Lineville, IA under the direction of Roberson Funeral Home, Princeton, MO. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Lineville, IA. The family will receive friends from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Friday at the church. Memorials may be made to the Lineville Assembly of God Church in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 316, Princeton, MO 64673. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com.