VERDELL A. JOHNSON, 89, of Cleghorn, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at St. Luke’s Unity Point Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at Meriden Evangelical Free Church in Meriden, Iowa.  Pastor Larry Ostercamp will officiate.  Burial will be in the Marcus-Amherst Cemetery at Marcus, Iowa.  Military rites will be performed by L.A. Wescott Post #2253 and the Cherokee American Legion.  Visitation with the family present will be held on Friday, April 24, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa located at 207 E. Main Street.  Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials made to them for future donations in Verdell’s honor.
Verdell was born on December 18, 1936 to Verner and Gladys (Swanson) Johnson at LeMars, Iowa.  He attended Marcus Schools and graduated in 1954.  He went on to South Dakota State College where he graduated with a degree in Animal Husbandry in 1958.  He was commissioned through ROTC as a 2nd Lieutenant upon graduation in the United States Army as a Quartermaster officer and served from June 2, 1958 until October 13, 1967 in the USAR.  He met Marian D. Thomas at college and they were married January 14, 1959 at Glenview Church near Fedora, South Dakota.  Together they had three children, Elizabeth, Eric and Everett.
Verdell owned a trucking business for 15 years and was a farmer his entire life.
He was a member of Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Corn Growers, Sheep Producers Association and Wool Growers Association serving in leadership positions.  Verdell was directly instrumental in planning and establishing Little Sioux Corn Processors and served on the board of directors from inception until 2025. 
He thoroughly enjoyed flying his airplane and the rodeo.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Marian, son Eric, sister Joy and her husband Marvin Vogel, and brother Darrell Johnson.
Verdell will be remembered by his children Elizabeth of Cherokee, Iowa, daughter-in-law Lisa Johnson of Cleghorn, Iowa and Everett and Julie Johnson of Las Cruces, New Mexico;                 5 grandchildren, Allison (Robert) Johnson of Fairfax, Iowa, Caitlin (Steven) Schnoor of Cleghorn, Iowa, Madison (Zachary) Miedema of Cleghorn, Iowa, Jennifer (Liam) Stack of Chesterland, Ohio, and David Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona; 9 great grandchildren with another due any time; sisters-in-law Roberta Seidschlaw of Wecota, South Dakota and Nora Johnson of Faulkton, South Dakota; and several cousins.