Esther C. Johnson, age 99, of Holstein, passed away on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, at the Char-Mac Assisted Living of Holstein.  A private family funeral service will be held at the United Methodist Church of Holstein with the Rev. Doresa K. Collogan officiating.  Burial will be at the Holstein Cemetery of Holstein.  There will be no visitation.  

Esther Cecilia (Adams) Johnson was born October 24, 1917 to Perry and Francis (Stoltenberg) Adams on the family farm in Venus, Nebraska.  Her love for the outdoors found her working side by side with her dad in the fields putting up hay and milking cows.  She rode her pony to country school and over her dad’s rolling Virgin Prairie Hills.  She graduated from high school at Orchard, Nebraska in 1936.  After graduation she worked at the local hospital with her family doctor who trained her to assist in surgery and delivering babies.

On October 20, 1940, she married her blind date Harvey Johnson who was an electrician and did R.E.A. wiring for farm and country homes in Holstein, Iowa.  It was with humor he told his friends he brought her to Iowa to put shoes on her feet.  World War II took Harvey for three years to the Alaska Communication System. 

When Harvey came home the couple built Harvey’s Appliance in 1953 and managed it until Harvey’s death in 1985 with son Gregory took over the business.

Esther was an active member of The Order of Eastern Star and with the Rainbow Girls.  She was a member of the Holstein United Methodist Church and active in W.S.C.S. and her circle working over 50 years at the Methodist turkey suppers.

In tracing her genealogy through her French Canadian Grandmother (Fee Martha Adams), she discovered she was the 5th grandniece of the legendary Daniel Boone.

Esther is survived by her children, Gary (Sharon) Johnson of Spirit Lake, IA, Carol (Ron) Maymon of Schaller, IA, Connie (the late Kirk) Anfinson of Holstein, IA and Gregory Johnson of Cherokee, IA; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.  She is also survived by her brother, Perry Adams of Creighton, NE; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Harvey; granddaughter, Laura Johnson; sisters, Marie Adams and Dorothy Walton (Timmerman); son-in-law Kirk Anfinson; niece, Cindy Adams; and many brothers and sisters-in-law.

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