Christian Frederick Johannsen
October 17, 1970 — February 2, 2017
Christian Frederick Johannsen, son of Darryl and Cathy (Maxwell) Johannsen, was born October 17, 1970 in Harlan, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed at First United Methodist Church in Harlan, where he was active in MYF. He attended grade school at Laurel, New Park and West Ridge Elementary Schools and grew up playing little league baseball and was a member of the Monroe Standby’s 4-H Club. He went on to show lambs at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa and was active in the FFA chapter at Harlan Community High School. While in school, Chris loved playing football and after graduating with the Class of 1989, he went on to play football at Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa for a year before returning home.
Chris went to work with a wheat crew for a season throughout the Midwest traveling from Texas to North Dakota before returning home working various jobs around Southwest Iowa. He met Jaci Slama while working construction and they were united in marriage on January 23, 1993 in Lanyon, Iowa. Three children were born to this union Ashley, Tyler and Aaron. They made their home outside of Carroll, Iowa where Chris worked at a hog farm. They later moved back to Harlan, where he worked construction and at the Fareway meat counter. Chris and Jaci later divorced.
On September 16, 2006, Chris was united in marriage to Kim Paul Blum at the Monroe Chapel in rural Harlan and welcomed Kim’s children, Elizabeth and Jacob, into the family. He then went back to school receiving his associate’s degree in Agri-Business Technology at Iowa Western Community College, returning to Harlan and doing his internship at Nelson Farm Supply. He then went to work at FAC Coop in Schleswig, Iowa as an agronomist and later drove truck for G&R Feed and Grain and various farmers in Shelby County. He then went on to work for the City of Harlan as the grounds keeper for the City Park’s Department where he took great pride in the appearance of J.J. Jensen Park. He enjoyed watching not only his own kids play there when they were younger but also watching and cheering for all the kids throughout the summer play ball while he took care of the fields.
Chris was diagnosed with diabetes and later, due to an infection, lost his leg to amputation but that did not slow him down. He was a member of the Harlan Volunteer Fire Department, Parian Masonic Lodge No. 321 A.F. and A.M., Abu Bekr Temple of Sioux City, the Harlan Shrine T-Patrol and a lifetime member of the United Methodist Church. He took pride in his kids’ activities attending a father-daughter dance with Ashley at the Iowa State Fair and helped coach the boys in youth football and baseball. He enjoyed driving with the T-Patrol in parades and seeing the children smile. Chris loved the outdoors, spending a lot of time hunting, enjoying the peaceful nature at Prairie Rose State Park and on the family farm tinkering with antique tractors.
Chris died at the Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa surrounded by his loving family on Thursday, February 2, 2017, attaining the age of forty-six years, three months and sixteen days. He was preceded in death by his father Darryl and his paternal grandparents Arnold and Maxine Johannsen and maternal grandfather Arthur Maxwell.
He is survived by his wife Kimberly Johannsen of Harlan, Iowa; his daughter, Ashley Johannsen and friend John England of Emmetsburg, Iowa and sons Tyler Johannsen and Aaron Johannsen of Harlan; Kim’s children: Elizabeth and Jacob Blum of Shelby, Iowa; mother Cathy Johannsen of Harlan; sister Katie and her husband Dave Monski of Blue Grass, Iowa; grandmother Adeline Maxwell of Harlan; aunts and uncles; nieces and nephews, other family members and many friends.
Chris went to work with a wheat crew for a season throughout the Midwest traveling from Texas to North Dakota before returning home working various jobs around Southwest Iowa. He met Jaci Slama while working construction and they were united in marriage on January 23, 1993 in Lanyon, Iowa. Three children were born to this union Ashley, Tyler and Aaron. They made their home outside of Carroll, Iowa where Chris worked at a hog farm. They later moved back to Harlan, where he worked construction and at the Fareway meat counter. Chris and Jaci later divorced.
On September 16, 2006, Chris was united in marriage to Kim Paul Blum at the Monroe Chapel in rural Harlan and welcomed Kim’s children, Elizabeth and Jacob, into the family. He then went back to school receiving his associate’s degree in Agri-Business Technology at Iowa Western Community College, returning to Harlan and doing his internship at Nelson Farm Supply. He then went to work at FAC Coop in Schleswig, Iowa as an agronomist and later drove truck for G&R Feed and Grain and various farmers in Shelby County. He then went on to work for the City of Harlan as the grounds keeper for the City Park’s Department where he took great pride in the appearance of J.J. Jensen Park. He enjoyed watching not only his own kids play there when they were younger but also watching and cheering for all the kids throughout the summer play ball while he took care of the fields.
Chris was diagnosed with diabetes and later, due to an infection, lost his leg to amputation but that did not slow him down. He was a member of the Harlan Volunteer Fire Department, Parian Masonic Lodge No. 321 A.F. and A.M., Abu Bekr Temple of Sioux City, the Harlan Shrine T-Patrol and a lifetime member of the United Methodist Church. He took pride in his kids’ activities attending a father-daughter dance with Ashley at the Iowa State Fair and helped coach the boys in youth football and baseball. He enjoyed driving with the T-Patrol in parades and seeing the children smile. Chris loved the outdoors, spending a lot of time hunting, enjoying the peaceful nature at Prairie Rose State Park and on the family farm tinkering with antique tractors.
Chris died at the Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa surrounded by his loving family on Thursday, February 2, 2017, attaining the age of forty-six years, three months and sixteen days. He was preceded in death by his father Darryl and his paternal grandparents Arnold and Maxine Johannsen and maternal grandfather Arthur Maxwell.
He is survived by his wife Kimberly Johannsen of Harlan, Iowa; his daughter, Ashley Johannsen and friend John England of Emmetsburg, Iowa and sons Tyler Johannsen and Aaron Johannsen of Harlan; Kim’s children: Elizabeth and Jacob Blum of Shelby, Iowa; mother Cathy Johannsen of Harlan; sister Katie and her husband Dave Monski of Blue Grass, Iowa; grandmother Adeline Maxwell of Harlan; aunts and uncles; nieces and nephews, other family members and many friends.
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