Obituaries : Thomas Johansen

Thomas Johansen, 83, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, with his sweetheart by his side. A celebration of Tom's life will be Saturday, Dec. 11, at the United Methodist Church in Van Horne, Iowa. Visitation will be from

10 to 11 a.m. with service at 11:30 a.m. Steve and Perry Banse will officiate.

Tom was born at home July 22, 1938, to John and Ellen (Olson) Johansen. He delivered newspapers at the age of 10. At 12 and 13, he worked for Don Leonard as a farmhand and worked with Harry Stewart until he was 18, when he got a job with Chicago Great Western Railroad as a depot agent. After three years, he became a partner in a gas/service station where he did mechanical and body work. He then worked 20 years for United Airlines as a ramp agent, freight agent, and customer service agent. He enjoyed repairing ground equipment for United and enjoyed working on old cars and tractors. In later years he volunteered over 5,000 hours at St. Luke's Hospital.

April 11, 1959, he married Ellen Ehrens. They divorced in 1981. In 1986 he was driving to Cedar Rapids to attend a single again meeting when he saw a double rainbow. That evening he met Bev Banse and discovered that she had seen the same double rainbow. June 6, 1987, they were married.

He is survived by Bev, his wife of 34 years; six children: his daughters, Sheri (John) Schulte, Diana (Robert) Christen, Elizabeth (Scott) Johannes and his bonus children: Sue (Mark) Jarvi, Steve (Rose) Banse and Perry (Cindi) Banse; sisters, Jean Duncan and Karen Fischer; and 61 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Gary.

Memorials may be directed to St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Van Horne.