Lorna Johns Obituary

Lorna M. Johns, 95, of Calvin Community in Des Moines died Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at Iowa Methodist Hospital.

Lorna Mae Roberts was born September 17, 1927 to Dewey and Ada (Schahn) Roberts on the family farm near Lime Springs, IA. She graduated from Lime Springs High School and an intensive secretarial course of the U.S. Army Air Corps in Des Moines near the end of WWII.

She married Marvin L. Johns in Des Moines on November 22, 1950. Lorna’s career was as an executive secretary. In that role she assisted the Majority Leader of the Iowa House of Representatives, the Director of the Iowa Conservation Commission (now DNR), the Bishop of the Iowa Synod of the Lutheran Church in America, and the President of Grand View College (now Grand View University), among other executives.

Lorna was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and a grandson, Nathan Johns. She is survived by her son, Mark Johns (Mary), two granddaughters, Sarah Lucas (Brandon) and Katherine Bergman (Matthew), and four great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Lola Christiansen (Bill).

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 15, 2023 at Grace Lutheran Church, 5201 Urbandale Avenue in Des Moines, and streamed at https://gracedm.org/live/

Memorial contributions may be directed to Grace Lutheran Church, the Calvin Community Good Samaritan Fund, or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

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