Verdell A. Johnson, 89, of Cleghorn passed away on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at St. Luke's Unity Point Hospital in Sioux City.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 25, at 10:30 a.m. at Meriden Evangelical Free Church. Pastor Larry Ostercamp will officiate. Burial will be in Marcus-Amherst Cemetery at Marcus. Military rites will be performed by L.A. Wescott Post #2253 and the Cherokee American Legion. Visitation with the family present will be held on Friday, April 24, from 5-7 p.m. at Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com. Services will be livestreamed through the Meriden Evangelical Free Church YouTube and Facebook pages.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials made to them for future donations in Verdell's honor.
Verdell was born on Dec. 18, 1936, to Verner and Gladys (Swanson) Johnson at Le Mars. He attended Marcus Schools and graduated in 1954. He went on to South Dakota State College where he graduated with a degree in animal husbandry in 1958. He was commissioned through ROTC as a 2nd Lieutenant upon graduation in the United States Army as a Quartermaster officer and served from June 2, 1958 until Oct.13, 1967 in the USAR. He met Marian D. Thomas at college and they were married Jan. 14, 1959, at Glenview Church near Fedora, S.D. Together they had three children: Elizabeth, Eric and Everett.
Verdell owned a trucking business for 15 years and was a farmer his entire life.
He was a member of Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Corn Growers, Sheep Producers Association and Wool Growers Association serving in leadership positions. Verdell was directly instrumental in planning and establishing Little Sioux Corn Processors and served on the board of directors from inception until 2025.
He thoroughly enjoyed flying his airplane and the rodeo.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Marian; son Eric; sister Joy and her husband Marvin Vogel; and brother Darrell Johnson.
Verdell will be remembered by his children: Elizabeth of Cherokee; daughter-in-law Lisa Johnson of Cleghorn; and Everett and Julie Johnson of Las Cruces, N.M.; five grandchildren: Allison (Robert) Johnson of Fairfax; Caitlin (Steven) Schnoor of Cleghorn; Madison (Zachary) Miedema of Cleghorn; Jennifer (Liam) Stack of Chesterland, Ohio; and David Johnson of Phoenix, Ariz.; nine great-grandchildren with another due any time; sisters-in-law, Roberta Seidschlaw of Wecota, S.D.; and Nora Johnson of Faulkton, S.D.; and several cousins.
