Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Johnson, Richard Earl May 13, 1984 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Pat Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net April 8, 2020, 9:08 am Ionia Sentinel Standard-Mon. May 14, 1984 IONIA - An autopsy was scheduled for today to determine the cause of death of a former Ionia resident whose body was found alongside M-66 in Montcalm County Sunday morning. The body of Richard Earl Johnson, 31, of Sheridan was discovered about 9:15 a.m. Sunday on the west shoulder of M-66, about a half-mile north of M-57, by Det. Sgt. Don Godell of the Lakeview State Police Post who was enroute to a family gathering. Johnson was apparently a hit and run victim, state police speculated late Sunday. AFTER DISCOVERING the body, Godell notified the Ionia Post, in whose coverage area the body was found, and remained to assist Ionia officers in the investigation. He told Ionia troopers that his wife had thought what proved to be Johnson's body "looked like a bundle of old clothes," but he thought it looked like a body and stopped to investigate. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. Gordon DeVries, assistant Montcalm County medical examiner, at the scene. Sgt. Steve DeBoer of the Ionia Post said late Sunday that Johnson "appears to be the victim of a hit and run accident. That's the assumption that we are going on at this time." JOHNSON, DEBOER said, is believed to have left his residence in Sheridan about 5:30 a.m. and " is believed to have been hitch-hiking to his job at Greenville Products Inc..(Gibson). "We are investigating to try to establish what happened, "DeBoer said. "Montcalm County Prosecuting Attorney Bruce Basom has been on the scene and three of our officers will continue working through the evening. "We don't have a scheduled time for the autopsy, but we expect it to be Monday morning," DeBoer said. The autopsy will be conducted at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. Obituary information for Johnson appears today on Page 2. RICHARD E. JOHNSON IONIA - Richard E. Johnson, 31, of Sheridan died of injuries apparently sustained in a hit- and run accident early Sunday morning. Born in Ionia Sept.21, 1952, he was the son of Carl and Evelyn Chapman Johnson. He attended Ionia Public Schools and Ionia High School. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Vietnam. Following his return from military duty, he had been employed at Greenville Products Inc. Surviving are a son, James, 5, of Sheridan; his father Carl, of Ionia; four sisters, Mrs. Jerry (Patricia) Heilman, Rita Antes, and Rhoda Johnson, all of Ionia, and Joyce Johnson of Greenville; and his maternal grandmother, Mary Chapman of Ionia. He was preceded in death by his mother. Cremation will follow autopsy in Lansing Monday. There will be no funeral services or visiting hours. Arrangements have been made by Leddick funeral Home, Ionia. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/j/johnson35275nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 3.3 Kb