Obituary of Keith Johnson

Vernie Keith Johnson was born on August 8, 1937, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Vernie Arthur Johnson and Lillian Mary Elizabeth Staton Johnson. He passed away peacefully on November 12, 2024, at the VA Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 87.

Keith grew up with a strong sense of community and hard work. A proud graduate of Kellogg High School’s Class of 1956, he was well known for his loyalty to a close group of friends known as “The Hood Gang.” This special group—Keith, Alvin Cooper, Louie Klemm, Jerry Henning, and Dale Vebers—formed their bond over their shared love of cars, sharing laughs and creating memories. To be a member of “The Hood Gang,” you had to be quiet, shy, bashful, a hard worker, and cooperative—all qualities Keith embodied throughout his life.

Shortly after high school, Keith enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served from August 1956 to August 1962. During his time in the Navy, he was part of fighter squadron BF152 and fighter squadron VA95. He proudly served aboard the USS Ranger, USS Bennington, and USS Hornet, an experience he held in high regard for the rest of his life. Keith was honored to serve his country and often shared stories of his time in the Navy with friends and family.

Returning to civilian life, Keith settled in Jasper County, Iowa, where he dedicated over 31 years to working at Maytag, beginning his career there at age 18 and retiring in 1987. Keith was a lifelong member of the United Auto Workers (UAW) and remained active with the union for more than 30 years, staying deeply connected to the workers’ rights he valued.

On August 27, 1982, Keith married Myrna Leone Olson at the Foursquare Church in Newton, Iowa, where he was also a member. Together, Keith and Myrna built a life filled with love, faith, and shared friendships. They spent most of their married life in the Jasper County area before moving to Ankeny in recent years.

Keith’s legacy is one of dedication—to his family, his work, his faith, and his friends. He will be remembered for his quiet strength, his loyalty to those he loved, and his hard-working nature.

Those left to honor Keith’s memory are his wife, Myrna L. Johnson; his daughter Belinda Johnson Dietrich; his son Brent Johnson; stepdaughters Karen (Steve) Gantz and Marilyn (Robert) Berch; his sisters Bonnie (George) Cowger and Sandra (Bill) Mayo; his grandchildren Ashley, Breanna and Colton Dietrich, & Jason, Tasha, Bradley, Scott, Marti and Trevor Johnson; several great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Keith is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Joyce Elaine Snodgrass; his sisters Helen Hauersperger, Phyllis Azevedo, Joan Smith, Betty Cheatham and Mary Lou Kudej; and his sons Bryan, Bret “Snookie” and Bradley Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that you make a donation in Vernie’s name to Foursquare Church in Newton or to the Wounded Warrior Project.