Melburne Alvin "Mel" Johnson

Surrounded by his loved ones, Melburne (Mel) Alvin Johnson of Sioux City, IA joined his Lord and Savior on May 25th, 2019 following a brief illness. He was 84 years old.

Visitation and a funeral service will be held at Resurrection Lutheran Church, North Sioux City, SD on Monday, June 3rd. Visitation 9:00 to 11:00 AM, Funeral Service 11:00 AM with lunch immediately following. Graveside service will be at Bancroft, NE Cemetery at 3:00 PM. Pastor Richard Marrs will officiate the funeral service.

Mel was born on November 16th, 1934, in Genoa, Nebraska to Oliver and Ione Johnson.  He was baptized as an infant at Salem Lutheran Church and later confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in rural Bancroft. Growing up he worked on the family dairy farm, graduating from Bancroft High School in 1952. At age 18 he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed in San Diego, CA before being honorably discharged in 1954. Upon returning home, he farmed for several years before meeting the love of his life, Constance Johnson. They married in August of 1957 and continued to farm in Nebraska before settling in Sioux City, Iowa in the early 1960’s.

In Sioux City, he was the Service Manager for North American Manufacturing and a nursing home inspector for CM Corporation. Following retirement, he and Connie eventually moved back to Bancroft where worked for more than 20 years as a part-time grain inspector for Sioux City Inspection. A man of many interests, Mel was always up for an adventure, ranging from parasailing and whitewater rafting to antique tractors, both models and the real thing. He also had a keen interest in WWII history and fulfilled a lifelong dream when he visited the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii in 2008. But above all, he especially loved spending time with his wife, children, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

A life-long member of the Lutheran Churches of the Reformation (LCR), Mel helped establish Dakota Lutheran School in North Sioux City.  Between 1989 and 2011, he traveled 21 times to Nigeria, Kenya, and the Congo in Africa to assist with various LCR missionaries.

He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Constance, who passed away on March 2nd, 2019, his parents, stepfather (Otto Paulsen), and four brothers. He is survived by his eight children: Tamra Fakhoorian of Mayfield, KY, Mark Johnson of Sioux City, Teresa (Kenneth) Brown of Aurora, IL, Ruth Ann (Michael) Bowers of Janesville, WI, Valerie (Robb) McMullen of Roland, IA, Melanie (Michael) Hobbs of Sioux City, Kristin (Paul) Dacres and Jill Johnson of Sioux City; 40 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, and one sister.