Virgil Johnson Jr. 93 of Ottumwa passed away at 6:31pm on April 3, 2026 at Ottumwa Regional Health Center. He was born on December 2, 1932 to Virgil Isom Johnson and Velvie (Horn) Johnson. He married Barbara Jean Stafford on December 7, 1958. Barbara blessed Virgil with their only daughter, Debra Johnson (Denzer) in 1962. Barbara preceded him in death on May 20, 1988. He later married Roylene (Scott) Baschnagel on December 11, 1989. Roylene preceded him in death in 2015. Virgil maintained a close relationship with Roylene’s daughters and son who all called him Papa V.
Virgil graduated high school in 1951 from Moravia High School. He attended business school at Iowa Success Business School in Ottumwa in the field of Accounting and Business Law. Virgil wore many hats during his life when it came to careers. He was not accepted into the military due to a severe hearing deficit that plagued him for life but still did his part to help defend his country and the rights of this country’s citizens. He started his working career as a mechanic’s assistant in the Nuclear Division of the Iowa Ordnance Plant in Middleton, IA. He became a member of the United Energy Worker’s Union. He worked for John Morrell & Company and was a member and Union Steward with the UPWA/CIO Local No. 1. He was part of the union negotiating committee helping secure several contracts on behalf of the workers. Virgil served as an Ottumwa City Council member and later was hired as the Ottumwa Finance Commissioner for the City of Ottumwa. During that time he took several trips to Washington DC on behalf of the City of Ottumwa securing many grants and funding sources on behalf of the city. He served as Mayor Protempore under Mayor Lafe Dupy in that role as well. He helped negotiate multiple employment contracts on behalf of the city employees and was instrumental in obtaining lifetime health coverage for City of Ottumwa employment retirees during that time. Later, when the city attempted to strip those benefits from the retirees, he supplied vital information, which he saved to this day, to win the fight to maintain that benefit to the retirees who received those benefits. He retired from his working life and from city employment, holding the title of city airport commissioner upon his retirement in 1988. However, Virgil performed tax preparation for many citizens of Ottumwa following his retirement until he and Roylene started spending winters in Las Vegas upon her retirement in 1994.
Virgil was very active in civic organizations and community activities. He was a member of Antiquity Masonic Lodge #252 A.F. & A.M. of Moravia and Unionville. He was a lifelong member of the Wapello County Democratic Party. He was a lifetime member of the Elks Lodge 347 of Ottumwa, including being elected as Exalted Ruler of the Ottumwa chapter from 1990 to 1991. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias and was a member of the Ottumwa Bowling League, helping his team win several city titles and a few State titles. Although he never bowled a perfect game, it is said he was a very strong bowler. In spite of all of his activities, his most coveted membership was his longstanding membership in the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) and the Chilini (midwest) chapter of CASI that spanned multiple states.
Virgil and Roylene were part of Radar’s Hometown Chili team in which Virgil played the part of Colonel Potter. He assisted in organizing the first and only Ottumwa M*A*S*H Reunion in 1989, in an attempt to add another family-friendly event for its citizens. Virgil’s yearly CASI cookoffs at the Ottumwa Pro Balloon Races raised thousands of dollars for Hospice of Wapello County over the years and brought competitors from several states away. He was a top notch competitive CASI Chili cook, securing 7 Iowa state titles in the CASI chili cookoffs and several state titles in other states and placing highly in multiple cookoffs across the nation and Mexico. He won international champion in homemade salsa and 4th place in hot wings. He was a 38 year member of CASI, still competing as recently as last year. Virgil and Roylene were inducted into the CASI Hall of Flame in 2005 and were chosen as CASI Chili Heads of the year in 2008 and gained a huge group of friends and family in the CASI community across the nation.
Virgil was an avid hunter, fisherman, and bowler in his younger days. He could always be found fishing with his close friend Jack Kirk and his sons Doug and Paul. He and Jack along with others took yearly Canada fishing trips.
Virgil had a loving and dedicated blended family from his two marriages. As he said, family is more than just blood. Surviving are his daughters Debra (Bill) Denzer, Linda Baschnagel (Marshall Brown), and Brenda (Gary) Sanders, his grandchildren Ty Denzer, Alec Sanders, Taryn Sanders, and Jennifer Brown, his brothers Vernon and Raymond Johnson as well as many nephews, nieces, some very special grandpets as well as his huge CASI family, in particular his best friend and chili cook buddy Bill (Cheryl) Pierson. He was preceded in death by his half-sister Margarite Smith, sisters-in-law Norma and Carol Johnson, and Ruth Smith, brothers-in-law Roy Jr, Richard, and Raymond Scott, and son Larry Baschnagel.
A Masonic service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday April 9th at Reece Funeral Home followed by funeral services officiated by Pastor Mel Kendall. Visitation with family present to greet friends will be one hour prior to the service. Cremation will follow the service. A celebration of life reception will be held immediately following the service in the Winger Board Room at Pennsylvania Place Retirement Community, 1 Pennsylvania Place in Ottumwa until 4 p.m. Thursday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the local Hospice or the CASI Tuition Scholarship Fund.
