Rev. Dr. Francis Johnson

Rev. Dr. Francis W. Johnson, 96, of Peoria passed away at 11:20am, Sunday, January 15, 2017, at Lutheran Hillside Village in Peoria. He was born on March 13, 1920 in Haxtun, CO the son of Aaron W. and Lettie Lindgren Johnson. He married Marian Palm on September 11, 1945 in Swedesburg, IA. She passed away on January 4, 2017 in Peoria. Francis is survived by one daughter Chris (Tom) Sleight of Washington, IL; one son Roland (Carol) Johnson of Woodlands, TX. Other surviving family members include grandchildren Brian (Souad) Sleight of Carlsbad, CA; Greg (Megan) Sleight of Chicago; Jeff Johnson of Shenandoah, TX; Kim (Brandon) Miller of Seabrook, TX. Also surviving are five great grandchildren; Katlin Johnson, Dahlia Sleight, Paxton and Hendrix Miller and William Sleight. Also surviving are one sister Alyce (Russell) Bolm of Kingsburg, CA. one brother in law Burton (Late Florence) Holthus of Cincinnati, OH; one sister in law Mary (Late Wayne) Johnson of Omaha, NE. He was preceded in death by his Sister and Brother-in-law Jim and Ardyth Fox, one infant brother Marion Johnson, and one brother Wendell Johnson. He was a graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with a Masters and Doctors Degrees and earned summa cum laude at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He was ordained into the Lutheran Church of America on June 16, 1946. He served as Pastor at Bethany Lutheran School, Laurens, IA from 1946 until 1950, Mamrelund Lutheran Church in Stanton, IA from 1950 until 1969, Senior Pastor at Mark's Lutheran Church in Washington from 1969 until 1985. He also served as chaplain at Lutheran Hillside Village in Peoria from 1985 until 2000. Francis was Secretary of the Iowa Synod, Lutheran Church in America. Dean of the Peoria District of the Illinois Synod of the Lutheran Church in America, Chaplain for the Iowa State Legislature. Member of Commission on Congregational Life for the Lutheran Church in America. A member of Board of Directors for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. Member of Board of Directors for Lutheran Hillside Village and named Secretary Emeritus of that board along with Pastor Emeritus of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Washington, IL. Francis served as Chairman of the Board, Laurens Iowa Public Library; Chairman of the Board at Hovenden Memorial Hospital both in Laurens, IA. He also served on Board of Education at Stanton, IA; Montgomery County Iowa fair board and the Senior Center Board of Directors in Washington, IL. He was Co-Director for resettlement of World War II refuges for the State of Iowa; Co-Director of Christian Rural Overseas Program for the State of Iowa and served several terms as President of the Washington, IL Ministerial Alliance Association. Francis was a current member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Washington, IL. Services will be 11am, Monday January 23, 2017 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Washington. Bishop S. John Roth, Pastor John Bates, Pastor Youngshim Pitcher and Pastor Dick Hanson will officiate. Visitation will be one-hour prior to his service. Burial will be in Glendale Cemetery in Washington. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name may be given to Lutheran Hillside Village, St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Washington, IL or St. Mark's Lutheran Church Parish Nurse Ministry. Mason-White Funeral Home in Washington is assisting with arrangements, and notes of condolences may be sent using www.masonfuneralhomes.com.