Alvin Ray Johnston

Thursday, March 1, 2018 8:35 pm

At 8:15 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23, 2018, Alvin Ray Johnston entered eternal rest with his loving Savior. Funeral services were at 2 p.m. Monday, March 5, at Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 West Monroe St, Mount Ayr. Burial followed in Rose Hill Cemetery in Mount Ayr.

Alvin entered this world at 11:15 a.m. Monday, April 16, 1956, at the Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr. He was welcomed by his parents, Ronald Dale and Bonnie Marie (Cowell) Johnston, and by an older brother, Evan.

The family moved near Bloomfield and lived at Lake Wapello State Park as Ronald was the fish hatchery manager there. Alvin enjoyed growing up at Lake Wapello. He loved to swim in the lake and play in the outdoors. In 1973, Ronald was transferred to Decorah, where Alvin finished out his high school, graduating from Decorah High School. He worked at various places in Decorah.

Alvin loved bowling and jigsaw puzzles: the harder the puzzle, the better Alvin liked them. Alvin also loved animals and his pets. He enjoyed the family vacations to Yellowstone Park and other places where the animals roamed free and he even had his picture taken petting a bear at Yellowstone. He followed baseball and football and could recall statistics with accuracy. He loved birthdays and Christmas. His favorite color was red.

Alvin became a resident of Osage Rehabilitation and Health Care in Osage, where he lived the remainder of his life.

Those left to remember Alvin include his parents, Ronald and Bonnie Johnston of Osage; sister-in-law, Rita Johnston, of Osage; three nieces and their families: Veronica (Jason) Baldwin of Albuquerque, N.M. and their children, Christopher and Gabe; Amanda (Andrew) Johnson of Bay City, Mich. and their daughter, Indie; and Alana (Luke) Scheer of Osage, and their children, Drayven and Kade; aunt, Mildred Johnston of Urbandale; several cousins; his two best friends from Decorah, Jimmie Orvella and Scott Lyons; and his loving caretakers at Osage Rehab and Health Care in Osage.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Evan, and his grandparents: Raymond and Versye Johnston and Alva and Marie Cowell.