GARNER — Marsha Lee Johnson, 76, of Garner, passed away Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus, in Rochester, Minnesota. She leaves behind a family she treasured, deep roots in her church and a remarkable circle of friends whose adventures and support made them feel like family.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 10, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner, with the Rev. Scott Kozisek officiating. Inurnment will follow at Concord Township Cemetery. A memorial visitation is planned from 4 to 7 p.m. at Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. Fourth St., Garner, with additional visitation one hour before Saturday’s service at the church.
Marsha was born November 9, 1949, in Forest City to Gordon and Shirley (Dakken) Haes. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church and graduated from Garner-Hayfield High School in 1968.
She married Pete Gouge in 1969. Together, they had four children — Shannon, Staci, Buffy and Jeremy — and raised their family in Garner. In 1999, Marsha married Marion Johnson at St. Paul Lutheran Church, welcoming a bonus daughter, Nichelle, into her family. Marsha and Marion made their home in Garner throughout their marriage.
Marsha spent many years working as a dental assistant for Dr. Peter Vidal and later worked part-time at Wood Chiropractic before retiring in 2011.
She enjoyed bowling, golfing, gardening, cross-stitching, playing cards and, above all, time with her children and grandchildren. She was also a devoted fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Green Bay Packers and Indiana Fever.
Especially dear to Marsha were her “Weezers,” a close-knit group of longtime friends who supported one another through life’s joys and difficulties. Their traditions included dressing up, throwing parties and gathering for an annual bonfire featuring hot dogs and martinis. Over the years, their friendship became something much like family.
Marsha was a lifelong member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and participated in St. Paul Lutheran Women’s Missionary League.
She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Marion Johnson of Garner; children Shannon (Tim) Driscoll of West Des Moines, Staci Lowe of Sheffield, Buffy (Lance) Gardner of Garner and Jeremy (Gail) Gouge of Garner; bonus daughter Nichelle (Jason) Kendall of Forest City; grandchildren Logan (Makenzie) Driscoll, Brody Driscoll, Courtney Lowe (Josh Thomas), Hannah Lowe, Ty Gardner, Trever Gardner, Brockway (Tjaden) Gouge, Gretta Gouge, Mattie Gouge, Natalie Kendall and Jaydon Kendall; great-granddaughter Jayla, with another great-grandchild on the way; brother Marlin “Mick” (Kathy) Haes of Minneapolis; sisters Margo Greiman of Windsor, Colorado, and Mareen Nedved of Garner; brothers-in-law Rex (Candy) Johnson of Leland and Keith (Karen) Johnson of Meservey; Debbie Johnson of Springfield, Illinois; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brother-in-law Gary Greiman; niece Jennifer Nedved; sister-in-law Benae Johnson; and brother-in-law Michael Johnson.
Memorials may be directed to the Garner VFW or Garner Community Christian Child Care (GC4). Additional service information and a guestbook are available through Cataldo Funeral Home’s tribute to Marsha.
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