Lawrence “Larry” Johnson, 75, of Newton and formerly of Monroe, passed away Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. A funeral service was held 10 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 13, at Monroe First Baptist Church. Burial was in Silent City Cemetery at Monroe. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to Sully Community Church or made out to Larry’s family (Eric or Kevin Johnson) for a scholarship to be created in Larry’s name. If you are unable to attend and wish to send a card, please make it out to: Attn: Larry Johnson, Coburn Funeral Home, 24 W. Howard St., Colfax, IA 50054.
The son of Robert and Barbara (Short) Johnson, Larry was born Mar. 25, 1949, in Des Moines. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1968. While in high school, he was a dedicated wrestler. In 1972, he was united in marriage to Eileen Nolin; they were married for 49 years. Larry spent his life working several jobs; however, he dedicated 25 years as a custodian to PCM School District. He was proud of his time working for the school. Many of the students at the school, co-workers, customers at Walmart, and nurses/aides at the nursing home, simply knew Larry by his smile. He would flash a grin at anyone he saw.
Larry enjoyed the quiet and simple life. He was never known as a talker, he let Eileen do the that; however, when it came to sports, Larry would talk about the Iowa Hawkeyes, Caitlin Clark, the Chicago Bears or Cubs, and later in life, the Chiefs. Saturday mornings were spent watching cartoons with his children/grandchildren or sharing a McDonald’s breakfast with family. Larry treasured time with his grandchildren, whether it was fishing (although he rarely caught anything) or watching their sporting events. He and Eileen frequently traveled to see friends and always took the backroads to avoid the rush of the interstate. Larry passed along his passion for music to his sons and grandchildren. He was proud of his cassette and vinyl collection of ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s rock music and played it often. Larry can best be described as a man who worked hard, loved his family, and took joy in the simple life.
Those left to carry on his memory include his sons Eric (Amie) Johnson and Kevin (Sara) Johnson; grandchildren Kyndra Johnson, Cassie Johnson, Madison Johnson, Isaac Johnson, and Noah Johnson; as well as a few nieces and nephews.
Preceding Larry in death includes his parents; his beloved wife Eileen; sisters Delores Johnson and Terry Gomez; and an infant daughter Laurie.
