Mary Johnson

Mary Joan Biggs was born February 14, 1934, the daughter of George Edward and Julia (Exline) Biggs in Anita, Iowa, and passed peacefully away Sunday, February, 19, 2012, at the New Mark Care Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

She grew up in Anita, graduating from the Anita High School in 1951. In 1952, Joan was married to Dennis Allen Johnson at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington D.C. The couple was married nearly 51 years. The family lived in many states throughout her husband's Air Force career. Dennis and Joan lived in the Washington, D.C. area during two different time periods. They were also stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, San Antonio, Texas, Shreveport, Louisiana, Springfield, Massachusetts and Omaha, Nebraska. He retired in 1972, and at that time the family returned to Anita to make their home.

Joan and Dennis enjoyed working together to co-manage the Crestwood Hills Golf Course in Anita, and she became an avid golfer around the age of 60 years. She also worked at the Casey's store in Anita. In Atlantic, she worked for the Atlantic News Telegraph in advertising, and Glacier Vandervell.

Growing up, Joan described herself as quite shy, but that all changed when she was on the basketball court in high school. She loved the game throughout her entire life, but on the high school court, she became a star. She frequently scored in double digits, and during her senior year, scored frequently 30 or more points a game, that included a career high score of 50 points. She was also named to a number of All-State and All-Region teams. She often spoke fondly of the support and mentorship of her coaches, teachers and community basketball fans. After high school and marriage, she further deployed her athleticism and competitiveness playing softball, including on a fast-pitch team in Hawaii, and bowling. She enjoyed watching sports in person and on TV. Joan was an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan, and followed the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls as well as the Dallas Cowboys during the Tom Landry years. In her later times, she enjoyed frequenting garage and estate sales in her spare time.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents, George and Julia (Exline) Biggs; her husband, Dennis Allen Johnson; her brothers, Charles, Orville and Bud; and her sisters, Frances, Marilyn and Zella. She was the youngest of the seven children and lost her mother at the age of five.

She is survived by her daughters, Pamela Kay (Tom) Crane of Casey, Iowa, and Debra Renee (Phil) Littler of Diamond Head Lake, Iowa, and Janet Louise (Dave) Waddell of Weston, Missouri; her grandchildren, Christopher (Jennifer) Johnson of Lake Mary, Florida, Ryan (Chrissy) Littler of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Todd (Haylee) Littler of Leavenworth, Kansas, Brad Littler of Omaha, Nebraska, and Cecily Waddell of Weston, Missouri; and 6 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, February 23, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. with a visitation one hour prior to the service, from 1:00-2:00 p.m., at Hockenberry Funeral Home in Anita, Iowa.

Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery in Anita.

A time for lunch and fellowship will be held following the committal service at the Anita Community Center.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Cross Lutheran Ministries, Joan Johnson Memorial, 780 Sun Drive, Orlando, Florida, 32746. This will benefit youth missions rebuilding communities after disaster events.