Joan Johnson

Joan’s was not a face you may have seen often in the community or at athletic events. The following will give you a little insight into the hard working woman she was during a time when it was not the norm to work full time outside of the home.

Joan Lee Krummel was born at Jennie Edmundson Hospital, to Alfred and Vera Krummel on August 24, 1944. She began her childhood on a farm south west of Avoca. In 1952, her parents moved into the town of Avoca and owned two establishments the Idle Hour and the Krummel Cafe both located on the south block, west side, of the main street in Avoca.

Joan had many memories of working for her mom at the cafe. From early hours of helping make the best cinnamon rolls in town to serving all the older gentlemen that came for a home cooked meal.

During her time working at the cafe she also recalled the many times she served Duane Johnson, who was a handsome young man who worked up the street at the Chevrolet Garage.

While attending AvoHa High School as a Bluebird, Joan played the xylophone in the band and finished her HS career as the marching band majorette. She was also a member of the basketball team during her H.S. career and always impressed on her children the value of a good education. Joan graduated from AvoHa High School 1962.

Shortly after graduation she married the handsome guy who frequented the Krummel Cafe. She and Duane Julius Johnson were married at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca on June 8, 1963. The couple brought 3 children into the world starting with Michael Duane Johnson born on October 25, 1964. During this time Joan was employed at the Avoca State Bank (currently SCSB) in Avoca.

February 13, 1969 the couple added Lori Sue Johnson (Tiarks) to the family. During their younger days the family lived in two homes in Avoca and spent a short time in an upstairs corner turret apartment on the corner of Hwy 83 and Elm Street. By 1970 they settled on a farm north of Avoca.

Joan worked outside the home all her life and helped with the family farm after hours and on weekends. There were many evenings spent preparing and taking lunches to the field for anyone working.

While at the Avoca State Bank she gained her CPA. She began working for Darrah & Company accounting firm until they moved their office to Council Bluffs. Joan continued her education at Iowa Western Community College as a non-traditional student. She was enrolled in some of the very first stages of computer technology. She created programs using stacks of punch cards that were tested by running them through a computer main frame the size of an entire room.

During her college career she was also raising her third child, James Walter Johnson who was born on November 11, 1978. Lori and James made many trips to Iowa Western classes in the evenings or anytime programs were finished and needed testing. Mike was old enough at this point to be his dad’s right hand man on the farm.

Joan began working for First National Bank of Omaha as she finished her two year degree. She got so busy at the bank as a computer programer that there was no time to return to college. After many years she had been promoted as high as she could get without a 4 year degree. First National Bank valued her work as a programer to the point they broke all previous protocol and made Joan Johnson the first Computer Analyst Engineer with only a 2 year degree. This was a great accomplishment for her not only as a programmer but as a woman in a field of predominantly men. She had gained a great deal of respect from everyone in the industry by the time she retired from the bank.

After retirement she worked a year for Clarkson Hospital programming their card services. She was asked back to First National as a contract programer in order to keep their success in the programming field moving forward. She continued programming for First National for several years from a home based office. Upon leaving the bank for a final time she began working for her brother Larry Krummel’s California based company, All My Papers, where she made connections from all over the world. The people of India being the ones that intellectually impressed her the most.

Due to all the computer screen time over the years Joan was slowed down by poor vision followed by her brother selling the company. She still stayed busy with the bookwork for Johnson Valley View Farms and a 6 ½ year commitment of books for the Old Main Street Grille in Avoca.

As you can see this was a very full life for Joan. She enjoyed only one thing beyond computers and her family and that was to spin, as she coined them, “The Spinny Wheels” aka slot machines at the casino.

Joan was preceded into death by her mother Vera Krummel, her father Alfred “Honas” Krummel, brother Larry Krummel and son in law Larry Tiarks.

She leaves behind to mourn, her husband Duane Johnson, of 61 years as of June 8, 2024, (Avoca), sister Ginny (David) Alftine of Bettendorf, IA/Medford OR, sister in law Marian Krummel of San Jose, CA/Bigfork, MT; Children: son, Mike Johnson (Avoca), daughter, Lori Tiarks (Avoca), son, James (Rachel) Johnson (Avoca); Grandchildren: Lisa (Darrian) Irlbeck (Avoca), Helen (Trevor) Jacobsen (Colman, SD), Nicole Tiarks (Garrett Esser) (Avoca), Jaelyn Johnson, Keighan Johnson, Jagger Johnson, & Dax Johnson (Avoca); Great Grandchildren: Evalyn Irlbeck, Ivan Irlbeck (Avoca) and Brecken Jacobsen (SD); along with many other generations of extended family members.