Clyde Willard Johnson, 89, of Eddyville, died Nov. 1, 2009, at the Mahaska Health Partnership hospital, just one week shy of his 90th birthday.Willard was born Nov. 8, 1919, in Van Wert to Samuel Clyde and Vera Lantz Johnson. He was the oldest of their four children, followed in birth by Gerald, Twyla and Robert.He grew up on his parents' farm, attended rural schools and graduated from Osceola Iowa High School with the class of 1937. Following graduation he worked on area farms and joined the Merchant Marines in 1940, serving during World War II on numerous ships, rising to the rank of Chief Engineer. After the war ended, he worked in the Panama Canal Zone as a Marine engineer. It is there that he met and married Etoile Patricia Dalton of North Lake, Mich., on Nov. 5, 1948. They were married nearly 27 years and raised four children. In the latter part of 1951, Willard and Pat returned to the Osceola area where Willard established a fuel delivery business. They moved to Eddyville in 1953 where he worked as a Control Room Operator in the Bridgeport plant for Iowa Southern Utilities and farmed. He retired from Iowa Southern Utilities after 30 years.Willard and Pat worked very hard, building a new home in 1957 while working full time at ISU and farming. They had a particular fondness for children, with Willard building four large playhouses and, more than 50 years ago, three very large swing sets, one of which can yet be seen in a massive cottonwood tree at his Eddyville home, and another still in use at an Osceola-area farmhouse. His Christmas decorations enthralled children for decades, featuring Mrs. Santa Claus rocking in her chair inside one of the playhouses.They enjoyed many happy years in Eddyville before Pat began her lengthy and multiple battles with cancer, finally succumbing on Oct. 16, 1975. Willard took exceptional care of her to the very end, while simultaneously raising their family and working a full-time job.Willard married Nettie Elizabeth "Betty" Roberts on July 5, 1980. They were married 28 years, until she died March 28, 2009, after a seven year battle with Alzheimer's disease.Willard was a 53-year member of the Eddyville First Christian Church, honored as trustee emeritus after serving as a church trustee for 47 years and chairman of the trustees during the major remodeling of the church.Willard enjoyed his family, farming, Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago Bears football games and, as all who ever drove through Eddyville saw, spent his retirement years gathering an extensive collection of antique farm tractors and equipment.Willard is survived by his four children, Carol (Kirby) Newby of LeGrand, Todd (Carol) Johnson of Normal, Ill., Julie Johnson of Iowa City and Bob Dalton of Eddyville; selected daughter, Yvonne Warner of Iowa City; stepdaughters Deb Roberts (Terry Marsh) of Seattle, Wash., and Pam Gentry of Kansas City, Mo.; and six grandchildren, Keenan (Rachel) Newby, Kent Newby, Elizabeth and Kathleen Johnson, Amy Dalton, Chip (Pam) Gentry; and his three great-grandchildren, Samantha Newby and Alex and Grace Gentry.Willard is survived by his brother, Gerald Johnson of Chillicothe, Mo.; a sister, Twyla Eddy of Oskaloosa; a sister-in-law, Beverly Johnson, of Centerton, Ark.; and several nieces and nephews.He was preceded in death by his parents; both wives; a brother, Robert Johnson; a brother-in-law, Olin Eddy; and a sister-in-law, Gloria Johnson.Funeral services will be Friday at 11 a.m. at the First Christian Church of Eddyville with burial at Highland Cemetery.

Published in the Ottumwa Daily Courier from 11/3/2009 - 11/4/2009