Gertrude "Trudy" Johnson

Gertrude M. "Trudy" Johnson, 89, of Cambridge, died peacefully and went to be with the Lord, surrounded by her family at Genesis Medical Center, Silvis, on Friday, May 11, 2018.  Due to family travel plans, the funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on June 8th, at the Cambridge Lutheran Church.  Burial will be in the Andover Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 7th at the Cambridge Chapel of Stackhouse-Moore Funeral & Cremation Services.  Memorials may be made to Cambridge Lutheran Church, the Henry County Historical Society, or Andover Historical Society.

Gertrude Matilda Swanson was born June 14, 1928 in rural Hepburn, Iowa, the daughter of Eldor and Elvera Johnson Swanson.  This was her father's birthday so she and her father had many celebrations together with cake and the flag flying, since it was also Flag Day.  She attended Cramer Chapel and Dirrim grade schools, Stanton and Red Oak High Schools.  Trudy then went to Luther College, Wahoo, NE, and Augustana College, Rock Island, graduating in 1950.  After teaching one year in Prairie City, Iowa , she married B. Ben Johnson of Andover, IL on June 16, 1951 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Red Oak, Iowa.  He passed away on August 23, 2014.

Since Ben had been recalled to the Armed Forces, their first home was in Columbus, Mississippi, where he began pilot training.  After more training in several southern cities and service in the Air Force, he was discharged from Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, and they settled in Cambridge.  Here Trudy became a substitute teacher and also an income tax practitioner for several years.  Her memberships included the Cambridge Lutheran Church, and its Martha Unit of WELCA, the Henry County Historical Society, the Andover Historical Society, Valley View Club, Cambridge, and two bridge clubs.

Those surviving are sons Gregory (Karla Kirkwood-Johnson) Johnson, East Moline, and David (Debra) Johnson, Cambridge, daughters Jane (Rich) Morency, Wheaton, IL, and Melanie (Mark) Bannister, Hays, KS.  Other survivors include ten grandchildren Matthew Johnson and Amy Johnson, both of Tacoma, WA, Sara Stalf, Quad Cities, Ryan Johnson, Davenport, IA, Karen (B.J.) Rains, Boise, ID, Scott Bailey, Great Falls, MT,  Michelle (J.J.) Oslund, Chicago, IL, Megan Bailey, Denton, TX, Kristen Morency, West Chicago, IL, Vincent Bailey, student at the University of Kansas, and two great grandchildren, Naismith and Nelson Rains.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and a sister, Janet Sledge.