Veta L. Johnson

Veta L. Monteleone Johnson lived all of her nearly nine decades in the Fox River Valley; a short 15 miles from where she was born in St. Charles on Riverside Drive to her last home in Sugar Grove.

She was born on April 24, 1933, and died, as she lived, surrounded in her last days by song and the love of her family; just one day after they honored her on her 89^th birthday.

Veta and her husband of 69 years, Melvin “Butch” Johnson met as young teenagers in the Fox Valley, introduced in high school by her cousin, Sonny. She was 16 and he was 14. Inseparable from that time, they eloped on Valentine’s Day, 1953 and their long life together is marked by adventure.  They had a particular love of long weekend drives and happening upon small towns for their distinctive celebrations and parades.  Branson, Missouri was also a favorite getaway weekend. They traveled together to Italy, the home of Veta’s ancestors. Twice they enjoyed cruises to Alaska.  Countless trips to Florida included a catamaran sail from Marco Island to Key West.  

Their partnership evolved from raising a family to include working together for more than 30 years in Butch’s family business, L.R. Johnson and Son.

Their longtime home was sited west of Batavia on 5 acres of scenic pastoral rural landscape on McKee Road. When the Johnson’s built there in 1967, McKee was gravel west of Randal Road, which was then just two lanes with a dirt shoulder. The home was a hub of activity and a comfortable home away for many Batavia youths to whom Veta was a “bonus mom”.

Veta served as president of the Batavia Mother’s Club and on the Alice Gustafson School PTA. As a volunteer 4-H leader, she shared her talents in music and dance through “Share the Fun”, an annual competition of song and dance that was dominated in Kane County by her daughters’ club, the Batavia Tireless Teens. The Teens were multiple year winners and with Veta’s help, took their show on the road to the Illinois State Fair more than once with. As a 4-H mom she also taught her girls to sew on a treadle sewing machine.

In a time when girl athletes were not the norm, Veta was a standout at St. Charles High School. A 1951 graduate, she was active in the Girls Athletic Association and earned a varsity letter. That letter is among souvenirs kept by her family along with the laces from her high school saddle shoes. Her sporting adventures as an adult were more held to participation for many years in a bowling league at the old Batavia Bowl.

She is among a sorority of girls in St. Charles who served local patrons as a car hop in the early years of the old Rex’s Drive Inn on East Main, then very much an outskirts of town location. She laughed always at the playful nature of that first job. Among the amusing memories from her time there was when she delivered a tray to a man and his family. With the door of the car wide open, the man insisted it was okay to put the tray on his window, so she did. And then he pulled the door shut which resulted in the contents of the tray spilling all over him and inside of the car.

Having developed a love of music through voice lessons which trained her natural soprano voice, she also danced while in the high school choir and musicals. She appreciated all kinds of music, and her beautiful voice embellished every genre. She filled the family home with music while cooking, memorably her world class lasagna. She also entertained sprawling extended family by singing for them at picnics and events. Her greatest hits were from the songbook of the late country crooner and Tennessee Plowboy, Eddy Arnold; “Make the World Go Away” and “A Little Lovin’ Will Go a Long Way”.

Her daughters Sharon O’Brien and Sallie Willing credit their mother with instilling a love of music in all of their siblings. They recall with affection that she raised her voice to them only in song.

In addition to her husband, survivors include 4 children: Susan Johnson (Scott Randall), Sharon (Michael) O’Brien, Sallie (Richard) Willing, and Melvin (Beth) Johnson; 10 grandchildren, William M. Olsen, Brian (Stephanie) Dugan, Sarah (Michael) Brugh, Charles Dugan, Kalina O’Brien, Amanda (Martin) Estrada, Brett (Kayleigh Kasatka) Willing, Carly Rose Willing, Brandon Johnson, and Amber (Ali) Rizaei, 8 great-grandchildren: Ava and Cole Olsen, Meredith Olsen, Ariah Brugh, Brantley and Brayden Willing, Mikayla and Lila Rizaei. Other survivors include her sister, Michele (Jerry) Steging, cousin Frank “Sonny” (Bernice) Monteleone, and many other cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends she loved.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Michaelangelo and Lucia Monteleone, 3 sisters, Leboria “Lily” Bargman, Virgina Stolp, and Lucille Ruch, a brother in infancy, and grandson, Bradley P. Olsen

Her family is grateful to an angel named Bobbie, her loving caregiver, who answered their prayers at the perfect moment. Bobbie provided Veta wonderful dignity by making sure her beautiful soft skin glowed with blushed cheeks and lipstick and adorning her with flashy earrings.  She kept her beautiful every day in every way.

Visitation will be held 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at Moss Family Funeral Home 209 South Batavia Ave. Batavia, IL. 

A Funeral service will be held 10:30 A.M. Thursday, April 28, 2022, at Moss Family Funeral Home.  Interment will follow in West Batavia Cemetery, Batavia, IL.  Indeed, prayer and faith were deep in Veta’s heart. She was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Batavia for nearly 70 years. She would value knowing her grandchildren reminisce that she always prayed for them. And she would want to be remembered for kindness and unconditional love.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Holy Cross Catholic Church 2300 Main Street Batavia, IL 60510.