Mary M. (Bleakly) Johnson (1923 - 2002)

JOHNSON, BLEAKLY, COULTER, IRWIN, MARTIN, COZINE, BLAIR, BAKER

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 12/26/2025 at 09:00:45

Mary M. Johnson, 79, of Cherokee, died Sunday, Sept. 22, 2002, in the Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital in Cherokee following a heart attack while playing golf.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cherokee. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee. Carnation Chapter #165 Order of Eastern Star will have services on Tuesday evening at the Boothby Funeral Home.

Mary was born Jan. 10, 1923, in Ida County to James W. and Margaret (Coulter) Bleakly. She graduated from Ida Grove High school in 1940. She then served as Deputy County Recorder of Ida County.

At the beginning of World War II, she moved to St. Louis, Mo, to live with her sister and was employed in the office of the National Tube Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. She later moved to Cherokee where she was the Clerk of the Cherokee County Draft Board. She had also worked as a secretary for Cherokee County REA, Iowa State Employment Service, Cherokee County Treasurer’s Office and had also served as Deputy County Auditor for several years.

She was married to her high school sweetheart, Hobert Johnson on July 23 ,1945, at Cherokee. In 1952, they were blessed with a daughter, Deborah. In 1956, her husband Hobert went into business for himself, Hobe Johnson Electric Service and Mary stayed at home to be his full-time bookkeeper until the time of her death. She had also worked as a part-time secretary for Martin. Wibe, Cozine and Phillips Law Office for several years until her passing.

Mary was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and sang in the choir for 50 years. She was also a 50-year member of the Order of the Eastern Star, and in 1955, she and her husband served as Worthy Matron and Worth Patron. She was active in the Order of Rainbow for 25 years. She was a charter member of the Ida Grove Rainbow Chapter and in 1940 held the office as Worthy Advisory.

Mary enjoyed music, golf, her home and flowers, and was devoted to her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Jim Bleakly, a stepfather Matt Irwin, and a stepbrother Robert.

She is survived by her husband, Hobert, a daughter Deb Cozine and her husband, Mark of Cherokee; 4 grandchildren: Katy and Leah Martin of Lawrence, Kan., Jerud Cozine and his fiancé Cassy Blair of Iowa City; Joshua Cozine of Los Angeles; a sister: Florence Baker and her husband George of Omaha; a step-brother: Merle Irwin and his wife Jean of Ida Grove; sister-in-law: Esther Bleakly of Cherokee. (Source: Former Cherokee County Historical Society scrapbook. Hand dated 9-25-2002)