Mary Esther Johnson

Mary Esther Johnson, 91, of Marshalltown, Iowa, formerly of Peru, died Sunday, November 19, 2017 at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM Saturday, November 25, at the Peru United Methodist Church in Peru, Iowa with Pastor John Shaull officiating. Burial will be in the Peru Cemetery at Peru. Mary, daughter of Arie and Nannie (Dillion) Van Haaften, was born on January 22, 1926 at Pella, Iowa. On August 4, 1946 she was married to Frank Johnson at Pella. They were married for 66 years until his death in 2012. To this union were born five children, four daughters and one son. They were residents of Peru for over 52 years. Through her life, Mary had been an administrative assistant for a printing company, worked for the Des Moines Register and Tribune, and had worked at Younkers Department Store. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, sewing, cooking, baking and being with her family. Mary is survived by her daughters, Nanci Iiams, Darlene (Eugene) Miller, Joy Miller, and Rosemary (Kerry) McDaniel; fourteen grandchildren; thirty-one great grandchildren; and two great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arie and Nannie (Dillion) Van Haaften; husband, Frank Johnson; son, Tom Johnson; son-in-law, Russ Iiams; and brother and his wife, Henry and Janet Van Haaften. Visitation will be Friday from 2 to 8 PM at McCalley-Collins Funeral Home with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 PM. Memorials given to the family will be directed to the Peru United Methodist Church or New Bridge Church. Funeral arrangements are being handled by McCalley-Collins Funeral Home in Winterset. Online condolences may be left at www.mccalleyfuneralhome.com.