JOHANNA STEELE 

1933 – 2024 

Kahoka, Missouri 

Johanna Alice Steele died November 13, 2024 at Clark County Nursing Home in Kahoka, MO. She was born November 17th, 1933 in Kirksville, MO and was the only child of Bill and Anna Belle Fehr Peterson. On August 22nd, 1951 Johanna married Joseph Orville Steele two weeks before he was deployed for the Korean War. While he was overseas, she worked at the Sheaffer Pen Factory in Fort Madison, IA. Johanna and Orville established their home and farmed land outside Gorin MO where they raised their family. She was a longtime member of the Gorin United Methodist Church. Johanna was the proud owner of Lone Sycamore Kennels and also raised sheep and goats through the years. 

Johanna was a true country girl and had a very big heart – for her family, friends, and animals. She had a way of making people feel special by cooking favorite meals, playing competitive rounds of cards, and long conversations on the telephone. Having visitors always brought the biggest joy to Johanna as she could take them out to admire her large garden and various animals, gather eggs in the chicken coop, have a picnic or fish at the much-loved lake, and enjoy a bowl of ice cream. Johanna loved hosting family gatherings and having family attend the Gorin United Methodist Church with her. She enjoyed outdoor adventures such as four-wheeler rides with grandchildren and side-by-side drives with great-grandkids and her cherished dogs. Johanna will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by her family and friends for her fun-loving and adventurous spirit. 

Preceding Johanna in death was her husband, Orville, her parents William and Anna Belle Peterson, her parents-in-law Joseph and Sylva Steele; her in-laws Norma Jean and Virgil Scifres, June and Louis Ferguson, and Calene Steele; her daughters Melinda Masden, Janene McNamar, and Teresa Sears; her son, Jon Steele; her sons-in-law Shawn McNamar and Mark Masden, her grandson Joshua McNamar; and two great-grandsons 

Johanna is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Candee and Stuart Musgrove of IL, her in-laws George and Donna Steele of MO, and by her grandchildren, Alicia and Keith Shaffer, Rebecca McNamar, and Bailey McNamar, all of IL; Andrew Musgrove, Brett and Amanda Masden, Eric Masden, and William Masden and Madison Gray of IA; Tyler and Kaylan Henstorf, Kylee and Eric Root Quayle, Sabe and Ashley Sears, and Greg Steele all of MO. Johanna is survived by ten great-granddaughters and four great-grandsons. 

Memorials in lieu of flowers are suggested to the Pleasant Grove Cemetery Association and may be left at or mailed to the Payne Funeral Chapel, 202 E. Madison St., Memphis, MO 63555. 

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon, 11/17, at 2:00 P.M at the Payne Funeral Chapel in Memphis with Pastor Kim McNamar officiating. Interment followed in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery at Gorin, Missouri 

Pallbearers were Brett Masden, Eric Masden, Greg Steele, 

Tyler Henstorf, William Masden, Sabe Sears, and Andrew Musgrove. 

Online condolences may be shared with the Steele family by logging onto Payne’s website at paynefuneralchapel. com

Arrangements were entrusted to the care of the Payne Funeral Chapel in Memphis.