C. Leroy 'Lee' Johnson

C. Leroy "Lee" Johnson, 74, of Mt. Pleasant, died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007, at his home.

Visitation will begin after noon Friday, Aug. 24, at the Olson - Powell Memorial Chapel, where the family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, with the Rev. Dr. Jerry Kelly officiating.

Burial will be in the Forest Home Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to the First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant, the Middletown Presbyterian Church, and Great River Hospice.

Born March 7, 1933, in Des Moines, Charles Leroy was the son of Roy E. and Helen L. Carter Johnson. Lee was a 1951 graduate of Woodside Consolidated School in Des Moines. He attended Grandview Junior College, Lutheran Bible Institute, and completed his bachelor's degree in 1958, from Augsburg College.

Lee received his master's of divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary. On June 24, 1956, Lee married Joy Lee Hutzell in Algona.

Lee began his career by pastoring churches in Dawson, Minn., and Boxholm, Iowa. He also was a mission developer for the Lutheran Church in Orchard Lake, Mich. In 1968, the family moved to Mt. Pleasant, where he began working with the Iowa Correctional System, first as a counselor at the Iowa State Penitentiary, and then working with parole and probation in the 8th Judicial District.

In 1976, he became involved with staff training for the Iowa Correctional System, where he held several supervisory roles, from which he retired. Lee served as treasurer of the family store, Hutzell's Inc., in Algona. He taught classes part-time at Iowa Wesleyan College. From November of 1996 until September of 2005, Lee preached at Middletown Presbyterian Church.

A very active member of the First Presbyterian Church, Lee served as an elder, deacon, Sunday school teacher, and on numerous committees. He had been a member of the East Iowa Presbytery Small Church Advocacy Committee. He was a member of the Henry County Nature Club, the Southeast Iowa Symphony Board, along with the Iowa Corrections Association and the American Corrections Association.

Along with his wife, Joy, Lee is survived by one son, Timothy L. (Diane) Johnson of Council Bluffs; two daughters, Merilee G. Johnson of New York City, NY, and Gayle R. (Jeffrey) Sheetz of Coralville; one granddaughter; one sister, Marilyn (Lyle) Coon of Lohrville; and a sister-in-law, Beverly Johnson of Lucas.

His parents, stepmother Leone Johnson, and one brother, Paul A. Johnson, preceded Lee in death.