Staunton Star - Times - Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years

Clayton Palmer Johnson, 86, of Worden, Ill., peacefully passed away at 6:23 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, at his residence in Worden. He was born July 9, 1937, in Chicago, the son of the late Clifford Donald and Ethel Corrine (Palmer) Johnson. He married Jessie May Gustafson on Aug. 29, 1959, at St. Stephen’s Church in Chicago, and the two shared a loving marriage for 64 years.

Friends and family remember Clay as a big man with an even bigger heart. A family man, he loved spending time with his grandkids and great-grandkids, who affectionately called him “The Great Watermelon,” “Mr. Wonderf...