Joretta Lea Carley Johnson, daughter of Harold and Parthena (McConnell) Carley, was born on December 10, 1936. She died on March 26, 2023, at Rose Vista in Woodbine, IA, at the age of 86 years, 5 months, 16 days.
Joretta attended school in Oakland, IA, and graduated in 1954. She was united in marriage to James Johnson on July 4, 1954. After high school, she attended the Iowa Teachers College in Cedar Falls, IA. They eventually relocated to Oakland, where Joretta taught school throughout southwest Iowa for several years. When she left teaching, she joined Jim in operating Carley and Johnson Hardware until they retired.
Joretta was a member of the Oakland United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, where she held various titles, and the Pythian Sisters, where she served as Grand Chief for Iowa. Joretta and her mother, Parthena, traveled throughout the United States, attending various related functions. You could often find Joretta in the polling center for Pottawattamie County and local elections. During the summers, Joretta enjoyed playing golf in couples’ tournaments with Jim and their friends.
Joretta is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Jim. Joretta is survived by her children Tami Johnson of Des Moines, IA, and Carey Johnson and his wife Missy of Council Bluffs, IA; and her grandchildren, the lights of her life, Ean, Ellen, and Cora Johnson and Claire Logsdon. Many others also survived her; she loved and considered her extended family.
A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 2:00 PM at the Oakland United Methodist Church in Oakland. Visitation with the family will be on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, from 5:30 until 7:30, at the Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland. The interment will be at the Oaklawn Cemetery in Oakland. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is assisting the family.
