Funeral services will be held at 11 AM, Saturday, February 6, 2010 with visitation from 9 to 11 AM, at Saylorville Baptist Church (6429 NW 6th Drive, Des Moines, IA 50313). Burial will be in Lincoln Cemetery near Alleman, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the “Josiah G. Johnson Fund” through Community Choice Credit Union. (There is a link above with more information)
Beautiful Things 
I am a friend of the LaMantia family. I have been praying for you and your family for a while now. You have been an inspiration to me. Your faith seems unshakeable and I have been touched deeply by your love for the Lord and your Love for your husband. I have been reading the book by Francis Chan, Crazy Love. You my dear Christian sister are not lukewarm in your faith, you are on fire and your love for the Lord comes through loud and clear. I will continue to pray for you and your sweet family. You already know this…but the Lord will continue to direct your life and He will see you through this most difficult time.
I got this poem from a friend and i thought of you.
If Tomorrow Starts Without Me
A woman was killed in an auto accident. She was Very well liked, so the office shut down for her funeral and it was on the news and so on.
On the day the workers came back to work, they found this poem in their e-mail that the deceased woman had sent on Friday before she left for home.
‘If tomorrow starts without me,
And I’m not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn’t get to say.
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you’ll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I’d have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life, I’d always thought,
I didn’t want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.
I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all that we shared,
And all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I’d say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss some tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven’s gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,
He said, ‘This is eternity,
And all I’ve promised you.’
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day is the same way,
There’s no longing for the past.
So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we’re far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I’ m right here, in your heart.
Jessica; I am so thankful that we are going to be able to celebrate Josiah’s life on Saturday and praise the name of the Lord together. I will miss seeing our husbands play together at church as I know Justin always loved it. While tears will be shed for the family that is still here on earth how amazing that Josiah gets to sing with the angels and watch you from above. I pray that you will be able to get some rest and God will continue to give you strength. God has blessed you as a writer and I pray you will continue to use that gift. Many people have come to read your blog and have seen not a perfect person but a person whose hearts desire was to honor her Lord. My prayers will continue to go up for you and your sweet children.
Jessica;
I’m a member of the O’Kelley family that went to church with you. I have read your messages and prayed for you and your family. I have had cancer for 3 years and continue to fight daily as remission has not been mine yet. The love you shared with your husband is an example to everyone and was a true gift from God. Know that we hold you in our prayers. My God grant you the comfort you need.
Dear Jessica and family,
Four years ago my husband went to be with Jesus. At the time, I had 2 little ones with another on the way. I understand much of what you are feeling and I am praying for you.
I want to share just a couple truths that help me during the overwhelming pain of grief:
1)All you got to do is BREATH. One breath at a time, one prayer at a time, one moment at a time. Just breath……
2)And KEEP RUNNING TO JESUS and CLINGING TO HIM. He loves you more than you will ever be able to understand.
Jess…I have been praying for you all day. Thank you for sharing the pictures. I went through all of them. It was really fun to see them and remember so much of your and Josiah’s legacy. Continuing to pray…
I have been following you all by the group on Facebook and have been praying. So sorry for the loss of such a man of God but I know that heaven rejoices at his homecoming. I am praying for your family at this time. I know that God’s arms are there to surround you in this time and I will pray that you will be able to feel his presence.
Dear Jessica,
It is just me again. I just read more on here and am so touched by your transparancy. A wise friend told me once to let myself be weak so God can be strong. You do that. Anyone who reads this can see how strong and real God is. I continue to pray for you especially tonight into tomorrow. It will be painful and yet joyous. Celebrating your husband will bless you and give you strength. Yet the reality that he is gone is heart wrenching. The only comfort I can give you is that “it is not goodbye, but see you later”; and God will carry you, He will hold you, and when you feel utterly alone, Our Lord is still there. Isaiah 41:13 “For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”
On my knees for you…