Eva Loranie Fosen

Eva Loranie Fosen Foster Johnson Kanawha/Mason City passed away January 18, 2022.  Visitation is Friday, January 21 at 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Kanawha Ewing Funeral Home.  Funeral services will be held at the Kanawha Lutheran Church on Saturday, January 22nd at 10:30 AM with meal following.  The family requests masks to be worn for family health reasons.

Eva has spoken her last “I love you little, I love you big, I love you like a little pig” as she left on her journey to reunite with her heavenly family.  

When the Kanawha gypsy (as her voicemail said) was asked where she was born, she told everyone she was born in the northeast bedroom.  Her family home was in Kanawha, Iowa and her parents were Knute Fosen and Clara Berneta Shaw Fosen.  Audrey Mae Fosen Hill and Wanda Lee Fosen Belden were her favorite sisters. 

Eva attended Kanawha school system. Her life journey took her to Des Moines for AIB, Waverly, and Waterloo prior to returning to North Iowa where she married Gordon Foster on October 7, 1944.  Gordon and Eva were blessed with a son Richard Knute Foster.  In a short period of time, she had become a bride, mother, and a widow.  With Gordon’s passing on December 29, 1946, Rick and Eva started their new journey alone.

The next leg of her journey led to a first date to Britt Hobo Days with John A. Johnson. John convinced Eva to marry him on April 18, 1948 and join him on the farm.  The two became three with John’s love of family by adopting Rick.  Their family was not complete until the addition of David, Tim, and Lisa. Little did she know what this would lead to, you will read more about this later. Eva showed unconditional love for family.  

Now that farming was in her blood, she jumped in with both feet to support John in farming.  They lived on a farm ½ mile south of Denhart, then moved ½ mile north of Denhart to their dream home. Eventually she and John moved to town (Kanawha). Her days were spent keeping the farming operation flowing during good times and bad.  Eva was a vital part of the farming business that is not always appreciated but necessary for success.  She ran for parts, transported men between the fields, helped rounded up livestock that broke fences, completed the bookwork that balanced to the penny every month, tinkerer, and fixer extraordinaire with what she had on hand. During planting and harvests it was not unusual for her to take up to 6 food runs a day to fields, she was the baker, cleaner, launderer, canner, gardener, and nurse to everyone.

Eventually she became the caregiver to her mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and husband.  She maintained both the farm and the Escape, their cabin at Clear Lake, keeping them immaculate. This doesn’t include all her personal accomplishments. 

The highlight of her life was when she and John bought the Escape in 1967.  Entertaining family, friends, and whoever showed up at the Escape, especially on the 4^thof July, was a high point of every summer. Together they traveled to California, Montana, Florida, Pennsylvania, fishing trips to Minnesota with family and friends along with spending several winters in Texas.  

After John’s passing, Eva continued her journey alone in Mason City, Iowa in her own “winter home” as she described it.  She gained many new friendships, kept up with the old friends, tended to her flower garden, kept McDonalds and Pies-n-More in business, and traveled with family.  It made it easier for her to keep up with her motto “shop till you drop and spend till the end.”

Personal accomplishments and community connections:

• Her greatest accomplishment, beyond her family, was the instigation of the building of the Kanawha Veteran Memorial, the wonderful commemoration when it was dedicated, and well over 400 individual letters she wrote to get the project going and message the out.
• Grand Marshall for the Labor Day in Kanawha.
• Taught Sunday School following her mother’s footsteps, was the Sunday School Superintendent, Chairperson of Stewardship, sang trios with her mother and her sister Audrey, active member of circle, and held several offices within the ELCA at Kanawha Lutheran Church.
• Volunteered with the American Legion Auxiliary for at least 63 years with stints as Co-President and Auxiliary President along with Chairman of Americanism for Auxiliary for 28 years where she organized the Memorial Day Program and the Veteran’s Day Program for several years.  
• Member of the same card club for decades and part of a birthday club for even longer. 
• Detailed bookkeeper for Tim’s trucking business at the starting of his company.
• Active part of “kids” extracurricular activities.

Her journey included a large family with Richard Foster Johnson-deceased (Judith) formerly of  Garner; David Wayne Johnson (Jackie) Lake Cornelia; Timothy Allen Johnson Kanawha; and Lisa Ann Johnson Determan (Gary Followwill) Mason City. They expanded the family with 11 grandchildren. Jody Mace-deceased (Steve/Shelley) Ventura; Cindy Hestad (Kevin) Washington, Pennsylvania; Chad Johnson Willow, Alaska; Corey Johnson (Dena) Omaha, Nebraska; Jessica Roberts (Craig) Washington, Pennsylvania; Joshua Johnson Belmond; Jacob Johnson Kanawha; Kiya Determan Norwalk; Machaela Kloberdanz (Tyler) Waukee; Jason Followwill Scottsdale, Arizona; Kristi Walker (Nick) Coralville. They increased the family even more with an additional 21 great grandchildren. Cody Mace Denver, Colorado; Cassidy Mace Scottsdale, Arizona; Sophia Hestad Cleveland, Ohio; Emma Hestad Hershey, Pennsylvania; Chet Johnson; Luke Johnson Willow, Alaska; Seth, Claire, and Lindsey Omaha, Nebraska; Clayton, Connor, Madeline, and Isabella Roberts Washington, Pennsylvania; David Johnson Belmond; Jenna and Haley Johnson Boone; Zuly Parcher Norwalk; Melah and Blakely Kloberdanz Waukee; Jordan Pruessner (Phil) Mason City; and Taylor Peterson (Mark) Clear Lake. To date there are two great-great grandchild Kale Pruessner and Bode Mace Gould. As well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Her grandchildren and great grandchildren knew she loved smiley faces, Wendy’s baked potato and chili, Jimmy Johns, popcorn, ice cream, and cheesy apple pie.   Eva made the best Russian tea loaf and passed on the tradition of baking.  She was always willing to share a story from her past or answer history questions for great grandchildren’s’ school projects. Eva shared her love for reading by gifting the book Love you Forever whenever the family expanded, and boy did it.

Eva loved wearing her high heels and going to dances at the Surf and Duncan, remaining an avid dancer into her 90’s.  She enjoyed sunrises and sunsets often stopping to take pictures alongside of the road, a good find at a garage sale or auction, a good dill pickle, salty crunchy snacks, sun tea, beautiful flowers, American flags, unexpected phone calls from friends and family, sending a newspaper clipping with a handwritten note out of the blue, supporting veterans, random acts of kindness, and sharing a $2 bill with a youngster she had never met.  Traits family members strive to emulate.  

Eva had quotes and passages she loved to share, here is one she wanted us to leave you with today.  “Those we love don’t go away; they walk beside us every day.  Unseen, unheard, but always near, so loved, so missed, so very dear.”

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