My name is Rhonda Johnson and I am the Ambassador for Iowa.  I am from Des Moines, Iowa. My maternal grandfather was Jay Farrell from Ankeny, Iowa. Our ancestor Andrew Farrell and wife Mary Byrne emigrated from Ireland to Canada in the 1830s. Their son James was born in Toronto and the family went to Illinois when he was young. He served in the Civil War and raised his family in Iowa.

I began to be interested in genealogy and was fascinated by the family stories I discovered about how our Farrells were from Ireland and had emigrated to Canada, then moved to Illinois and then Iowa.

In searching for more information I discovered the Farrell Clan in Longford and the Clan Rally held in Longford.

My aunt Phyllis Farrell and I attended the Rally in 2022. We made many friends and discovered more clues to our Farrell family history. We are looking forward to the next rally!

It is my honor to be a part of the Farrell Clan and represent the Farrells in America.

I now live in Johnston, Iowa and have three children, Nick, of Denver Colorado, Luke of Ames Iowa and Katie, a student at Iowa State University. I also have a new granddaughter, Stella.

As a breast cancer survivor, I volunteer as a mentor to cancer patients for CanDo cancer and help with their annual fundraising event. I like to golf, travel, attend live music concerts, and boating at the local lake with family and friends.

I am still searching for the Longford connection but already feel I have found my family when I attended the Farrell Clan Rally in 2022. I was honored to carry the United States flag as ambassador. Visiting Ireland for the very first time, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the land and its people. I look forward to visiting again!