Verl Dean Johnson, 85, of Keokuk, died Sunday, November 15, 2015 at his home. He was born on March 7, 1930 in Braymer, Missouri the son of Elijah and Sadie Johnson. On April 5, 1966, Dean was united in marriage to Janice Helman Gehle at the Courthouse in Kahoka, MO. She preceded him in death on October 10, 2002. Dean was a veteran of the United States Marine Corp and proudly served his country during the Korean War. He was honored to be a participant on the Great River Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. He had been employed at Hubingers in Keokuk for thirty-seven years and retired in 1993. Dean enjoyed hunting turkey and deer, fishing and farming. He was a fan of auctions and was always on the lookout for new treasures. Dean had a wonderful garden every summer and enjoyed canning his harvest and sharing his freshly picked vegetables with his family and friends. Dean was a very giving person and would was always willing to help others in any way he could. He never met a stranger and was able to carry on a conversation with anyone he met. He is survived by four sons, Dustin Johnson (Carrie) of Keokuk, Tony Johnson (Kalista) of Somerset, KY, Bill Gehle (Dave Jablonski) of Seattle, WA, and Dan Gehle (Rahma) of Ft. Madison, IA, one daughter, Linda Sever (Ray) of Peoria, IL, five grandchildren, Colten and Kaylee Johnson, Annabelle Johnson, Rachel and Jake Sever, one great granddaughter, Adrianna Young, his longtime loving companion, Ila Snyder of Keokuk, nieces, nephews and his family of friends. Besides his wife he was also preceded in death by two brothers, Cecil and Clester Johnson and three sisters, Janice Carlyle, Flossie Minor and Reva Cleveland. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Thursday, November 19, 2015 at the Vigen Memorial Home in Keokuk. Burial with military rites was in the Keokuk National Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Lee County Conservation Department.