Kenneth Johnston Sr.
May 15, 1916 ~ January 25, 2012
Kenneth L. Johnston Sr. age 95 of Nashua died Wednesday, January 25, 2012, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home in Nashua. Interment will be held in Riverside Cemetery, Charles City, with military honors by the Nashua V.F.W. Post. Casket bearers are Pat Johnston, Jason Johnston, Jeremy Johnston, Tim Fritze, Kevin Demro and Christopher Johnston.
Friends may greet the family 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Monday at Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home in Nashua. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the funeral home on Tuesday.
Kenneth Leo Johnston, Sr., was born May 15, 1916, in Stuart, IA, the son of Earl and Mabel (Jones) Johnston. In 1941, he married Jeanne Sulentic at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Waterloo. To this union three sons were born. On March 10, 1944, he was inducted into the United States Army. He served during WWII in the Philippines and received an honorable discharge on April 16, 1946.
Kenneth and Jeanne initially lived in Mason City where he worked for the former Fox Deluxe Beer Distribution Company. The couple later moved to Waterloo where Kenneth went to work for John Deere and Wonder Bread. They later moved to Ft. Worth TX, and he worked at the Convair Aircraft Corporation and also ran his own construction company building and remodeling homes in the Ft. Worth area. In 1960, the couple bought a farm north of Bassett, IA, and farmed for the next several years. While back in Iowa, he also worked at the former Oliver Tractor Company in Charles City. In the 1970, he started Wick Homes, building and selling homes in the area until the mid 1990’s. The couple retired into Nashua in 1995. Kenneth’s hobby was work and he continued to enjoy woodworking and puzzles as he grew older.
Survivors include two sons, Peter (Becky) Johnston of Ionia and Mike (Carolyn) Johnston of Clarksville; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; one great-great-step grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; one son, Kenneth Johnston Jr.; three brothers and three sisters.
Peter, Mike & Family, So sorry to hear about your Dad’s passing. Please know you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. God gave both Kenneth & Helen long lives. We have so many precious memories and stories to share and hold in our hearts. We so appreciated your Dad making the long car ride with Peter to Helen’s 90th birthday party! May they both rest in the peace of the Lord in Heaven. Love, Gary & Lynn Tam Melbourne, Florida