Arlo Dean Johnson

Funeral services for Arlo Johnson will be held Sunday, July 30, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. at Brooksville Mennonite Church with Kale Jantzen, Gladwin Koehn, and Devonn Miller officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. There will be a visitation held Saturday at the church in Brooksville from 6-8 p.m. Memorials may be made to Brooksville Mennonite Church, 23290 Hwy 45, Brooksville, MS 39739. Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon is honored to be entrusted with arrangements. www.cockrellfuneralhome.com.

Arlo Dean Johnson was born to Orval and Ruth Wenger Johnson on February 1, 1937, in Hesston KS. After battling with Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia over the last 2 years he passed away peacefully on July 27, 2017 at home in Macon, MS reaching the age of 80 years. His early years of his life were spent in Hesston KS after which he moved with his family to Florida. He was baptized on February 1, 1948 into the Church of God in Christ Mennonite by minister Frank Wenger at the age 11 years. Dad was faithful till the end. Dad truly appreciated the church and her lineage and encouraged us children to study the writing of the forefathers. In Dad's mid-fifties and again later, he went through a time of spiritual cleansing and growth we all witnessed and appreciated. Arlo met his sweetheart, Carol Nichols, in Montezuma KS in 1954. They were married on December 2, 1956 in Montezuma KS. Their home was blessed with 5 children. They enjoyed over 60 years together, and some of his last words were calling his wife “sweetheart”. They lived the first part of their married life in Florida where their 3 daughters were born. They moved to MS in 1967, where their 2 sons were born. After they were married, they served for a year in Tucumcari, New Mexico as house parents, which was followed by a year in Mexico. Dad was ordained to the deaconry at Macon on March 18, 1971, to which he endeavored to faithfully serve. He enjoyed serving in many capacities in the church. In the fall of 1998, they went to Bridgewater, Maine under USA mission, to serve for 6 months. They learned to love the congregation and area and ended up staying for twelve enjoyable years. Farming and raising catfish was his main occupation, which he thoroughly enjoyed, We as a family knew him as a man that could do anything he put his mind to, even in his later years growing beautiful flowers and baking delicious sour dough bread. He was known among the community as an optimistic person and had many friends. He had the gift of song and was a song leader for many years. The rudiments of music meant much and he enjoyed passing his knowledge on to others. Singing with family and friends was always a highlight. He struggled with his illness for the past 2 years. Thankfully, due to good care he lived at home till he took his final breath. A God-sent care giver, Heidi Swarey, faithfully cared for him 5 days a week. He loved her, and she became part of the family.

Left to cherish memories of him are his wife, Carol; three daughters, Karen and Waldean Peaster, Janette and Richard Johnson, and Glenda and Kendall Jost; all of Brooksville, MS; two sons, Samuel and Lois Johnson, and Steven and Kate Johnson, both of Macon, MS; twenty grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren; his 100-year old mother, Ruth Johnson; three brothers, Ed and Hazel Johnson, Demopolis, AL; Roger Johnson, Macon, MS; Frank and Judith Johnson, Uniontown, AL; four sisters, Annie and Johnnie Johnson, Arthur, IL; Janet and the late Dennis Zismann, Gentry, AR; Mavis and the late Glenn Allen Koehn, Macon, MS; Christine and Kirby Goering, Moundridge, KS; and Marilyn Johnson, Macon, MS; two sisters-in-law, Joyce and Crist Gearig, Bradley, AR; Elaine and the late Don Unruh, Macon, MS; one brother-in-law, Galen and Carolyn Nichols, Macon, MS. He was preceded in death by his father, Orval Johnson; three brothers-in-law; nephews, Roderick Johnson, Jerry Koehn, and Tim Sigafoose.