Obituaries

Doris Virginia Johns was born on September 16, 1922 on her grandparent’s farm, five miles south of Perry, Ia. She was the first of nine children born to Albert William Johns and Grace Pauline Wilcox Johns. Growing up in the adversity of the depression years of the 1930’s helped shape the resilient character that would serve her well for the rest of her life. Following her graduation from Perry High School in the spring of 1940, Doris went to Washington D.C. to live and ultimately to work for the war effort. On October 25, 1942, Doris married her high school sweetheart, Jack Lientz, in Bethany, Missouri while Jack was home on a short leave from the Navy. After the war, Doris and Jack came back to Perry to work for her father’s Hatchery business. A few years later, they had two sons, Jeff and Mike and lived happily until Jack’s untimely death on December 3, 1954 at the age of 32. Doris found love again and was united in marriage with Virgil Pantier on May 1, 1960 at the First Christian Church in Perry, Ia. With the addition of Virgil’s son and daughter, Bill and Mary Ann, they became a family of six. Doris and Virgil had 48 great years together until Virgil’s death on March 9, 2008. Doris lived at her home, which she dearly loved, until the age of 94 at which time she moved to the Rowley Memorial Masonic Home in Perry, where she ruled with grace and charm until God called her home on September 13, 2020. Doris had many things in her life that she enjoyed and loved, but the greatest love was for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Words fall short to describe the loss that her family feels. She was such a beautiful soul, touched so many lives and will be dearly missed. Left to cherish Doris’s memory are her sons, Jeff ( Claudia) Lientz , Mike ( Kathy ) Lientz, Bill (Dianne ) Pantier, and her daughter, Mary Ann Pantier, grandchildren and their families - Grant ( Stephanie ) Lientz , Eleanor & Ian, Doug ( Yolanda ) Lake, Eviana, Sofia, Arath & Camila, Michelle ( Doug ) Stengal, Billy Pantier, Jeff Wernli and Harper, Stacy ( Eric ) Feenstra, Kenley, Scarlett, Logan, Rylinne and Brianna, Michael Wernli and Carter, Paisley, Carson and Owen. Sisters Pat Meier, Sandy ( Larry ) Botts and Linda ( Bob ) Olson and many nieces and nephews. Proceeding Doris in death are her parents, Albert and Grace Johns, husbands, Jack Lientz and Virgil Pantier, brothers - George and Donald Johns, sisters – Vernas Shipley, Norma Herridge, Verna Martin, brother’s-in-law – Bill Martin, Jack Meier, Dale Shipley, Richard Herridge, sister-in-law – Joanne Johns, nephews - Kevin and Kelley Herridge and niece, Debbie Gelbowitz. Celebration of Life funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 19, 2020 at the First Christian Church in Perry. Burial will follow the service at Violet Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour before the service starting at 10:00 a.m. It is preferred that masks be worn and social distancing be observed. Memorials may be given in Doris’s memory to the First Christian Church. Online condolences may be left @ murdockfuneralhome.net