ANKENY, Iowa — The city of Ankeny announced on Thursday the recent death of former Mayor Merle Johnson, who led the city from 1998 to 2005. He was 85 years old.
According to an obituary, Johnson “passed away peacefully” on Monday. He was born in Story City, raised in Ankeny and attended Simpson College in Indianola.
The city said it flourished under Johnson’s leadership, growing from 27,117 people in 2000 to 36,161 in 2005. It also said the overall city boundaries expanded to 26.45 miles…