White Funeral Home
400 First Street West
Independence, Iowa 50644

Independence – Verna Mae Hepker Johnson, 90 years old, of Independence, Iowa, entered into her eternal rest on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at Lexington Estate in Independence. 

She was born on July 11, 1927, in a country home near Brandon, Iowa, the youngest of 6 children born to Charles and Maggie (Miller) Hepker.  She spent all her life on a farm and attended rural schools.  She graduated from high school in Urbana, Iowa.  On June 15, 1947, she was united in marriage to John C. Johnson of Brandon, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.  They farmed in the Brandon area until the 1980’s.

She is survived by 3 daughters, Donna (Max) Betenbender of Coggon, Iowa, Judy (Gary) Wilson of Independence, and Marilyn Johnson of Brandon, 1 son, Randy Johnson of Brandon, 2 grandsons, Michael J. Wilson and Lucas Corbett, 5 granddaughters, Teresa Betenbender, Nicole Sehgal, Heidi Shannon, Ashley Osborne and Heather Johnson, 10 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband (in 1988) 4 brothers, 1 sister, and 2 grandsons, Ted Betenbender and Christopher Wilson.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, 2018, at the White Funeral Home in Independence with burial following at Wilson Cemetery in Independence.  Friends may call for visitation from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 16^th, and from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 17^th, at the funeral home.