JOHNSON, Irene H.

Today's News-Herald, Lake Havasu City, Arizona - Published Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - Irene H. Johnson passed away March 13, 2011, at the Lake Havasu Medical Center in Lake Havasu City. She was born March 18, 1923, in Taylor Falls, Minn., and spent her childhood years just across the river in St. Croix Falls. Irene will be remembered for her dedicated service to the youth, community organizations, and to America’s veterans of the Armed Forces. She served the youth for several years as Den Mother in the Cub Scouts, Mother Advisor for her local Assembly in the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, and a variety of supporting roles in the activities of her children and grandchildren. She was a stewardess of her local community while serving as Worthy Matron of the Hollywood Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star, worked for the office of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Superintendent of Schools, and generated opportunities for the City of Lake Havasu through her involvement in the Ladies Auxiliaries of the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion. For 52 years, Irene served a variety of causes to support America’s veterans. She served as the Ladies VFW State Poppy Chairman for Arizona, the president of her local Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW, and the president of her local Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion. Her official titles in veteran’s organizations were far from symbolic. To the contrary, she worked hard to provide greater comfort for veterans in need of assistance. For example, in the 1950s, she was widely known for pushing beds around in the VA hospital so that our nation’s veterans were able to be comforted by the power of cinematic images rather than exist solely in the stale hospital rooms. F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, “America is a willingness of the heart.” Very few exhibited the willingness of the heart of Irene. She is loved by her friends and family and will be dearly missed. She is survived by her son, Erdean Johnson; daughter, Gail (Tony) Johnson-Holtan; five grandchildren, Joshua (Jennifer) Baker, Kevin (Jennifer) Johnson, Kaya (Danny) Aoun, Kyle (Liz) Holtan and Bryan Holtan; and one great-grandson, Drew Johnson Asenas. A memorial graveside service will be at Rose Hills Memorial Park (gate one, Friday at 11 a.m.) where her ashes will be laid to rest next to the grave of Donald Johnson, her husband of 53 years. A memorial service will also be at the Lake Havasu VFW Post March 27, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lake Havasu VFW Post #9401 Veterans Relief Fund, 266 London Bridge Road, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86404. Thoughts and condolences can be sent to Irene’s family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were placed under the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home & Crematory.