Allen L Johnson

Allen ‘Al’ L Johnson of St Joseph, Michigan, formerly of Belding Michigan, passed away April 15, 2022, in St Joseph.  Allen was born on August 23, 1935, in Adrian Michigan, the son of Ernie W and Adeline P (Pieplow) Johnson.

Al graduated from Morenci High School with the Class of 1954.  While in high school he was active in and enjoyed sports.  He attended Adrian College and graduated in 1960 from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. In 1975 he attended Wayne State Medical School and became the first mortician in Berrien County Michigan to qualify for the procedure of eye Enucleation.

Al had a lifelong career in funeral service, starting in 1956 at the Braun Funeral Home in Adrian.  In 1961 Al and his family moved to Benton Harbor working at Florin Funeral Home.  When living in St Joseph he worked from 1963-1984 at the Kerley and Starks Funeral Home and was named manager in 1968. In  September of 1984 Al purchased the Charles M Courser Funeral Home in Belding.  In 2000 he sold Johnson Funeral Home to Bruce Feuerstein.  He continued to work at the Johnson-Feuerstein Funeral Home until 2008 when he moved back to St Joseph to be with family.

Al was a member of the Michigan Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association.

Always civic minded, Al was involved in the communities that he lived. While living in St Joseph he was a member of Lions Club, Vice President of the North Lincoln Little League, Member of Napier Parkview Baptist Church and most recently The First Baptist Church of St Joseph. In retirement Al loved serving on the St Joseph Cemetery Board and taking advantage of the beautiful sunsets at Lions Park.

In Belding he was a member of the Library Board, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Grand Marshall of the Labor Day Parade, and member of the Belding First Baptist Church. For many years he has been a member of the Oldsmobile Club of America driving and displaying his 1969 Cutlass Convertible in the annual Lansing car show.

Al is survived by his son, Barcley (Lori) of St Joseph and granddaughter, Parker.  He is survived by sisters, Marlene (Doug) Livingston of Adrian, Eileen Cadoo of Hudson, Karen Arquette of Adrian, Marilyn Bryant of Morenci, and Janet (Gary) Walter of Adrian.  He is survived by brothers, Larry (Peggy) Johnson of Hudson, and Kenneth (Joyce) Johnson of Sand Creek. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Virginia and husband Robert MacGeorge, Elaine and husband Wm Smith, brothers Richard and wife Ilah Johnson and Loren Johnson, brothers in law, George Bryant, Delmar Cadoo and Keith Arquette. He was also preceded in death by his granddaughter, Hadley Johnson.

Visitation will be held at the Johnson-Feuerstein Funeral Home, Belding, on Monday, May 9,  2022 from 6-8PM.  Interment and a private family service will be at held on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at the Oak Grove Cemetery, Morenci, Michigan, with Pastor William Van ValkenBurg of the Canandaigua Community Church officiating.

Memorials may be given to St Joseph Public Schools Foundation for Student Mental Health Awareness, the Belding Michigan Public Library, or the Canandaigua Community Church in Morenci, Michigan.  Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Allen L Johnson, please visit our floral store.