Roy Johnson

Roy Johnson, of Dawson, died November 13, 2015 at Johnson Memorial Home  in Dawson, MN at the age of 96.

Funeral service will be held on Monday, November 23, 2015 at 11:00 AM at Crossroads Lutheran Congregation Church in Dawson, MN with Rev. Shelly Larson officiating.  

Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 22, from 5:30 -7:30 PM at the Hanson & Dahl Funeral Home in Dawson with a prayer service at 7:00 PM.  

Roy Johnson was born July 3, 1919 at home in Cerro Gordo Township, Madison MN  to Birdeen and Amanda (Ulstad)  Johnson.  He was baptized at Lac Qui Parle Lutheran Church and confirmed at Minnesota Valley Church. He attended country school through 8th grade, attended Appleton High School for 1 year, then took two year farm course from University of Morris at Appleton, he also had GI school after his discharge from the Army. He enlisted  into the Army  on December, 1939 and was in the 109th Ordinance Motor Maintenance Co. and served  in Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, and Rome-Arno campaigns. A grenade landed by his arm one night while in a foxhole - luckily it didn’t go off.  Roy prayed every night that he would make it home.  On April 13, 1946,  he was united in marriage to Marlys Torstenson at Lac qui Parle Lutheran Church. They made their home in Lac qui Parle Township, in a cottage on Lac qui Parle Lake, and on a lakeside ranch. Roy enjoyed camping, fishing, and hunting  with his family, traveling to different places such as the Southern States during the winter. Card clubs and Bible study groups were also important to him. He was on the church council, an usher, and also helped with the landscaping at the parsonage.  He was a lifetime member of the VFW and DAV organizations. He was active in NFO, Farmers Union, Lac qui Parle Soil Conservation - had Terraceville on farm in 1959, President for Minnesota Soil Conservation, was one of the founders of Soil and Water Land Stewardship, and enjoyed being an inventor.  Roy moved to the Johnson Memorial Home in November of 2012.

He is survived by two children: Val (Charlotte) Johnson of Montevideo, MN and Sharlene Jorgenson of Starbuck, MN; eight grandchildren: Dr. Val Rae Boe, Angela Weber, Krisi Jo Block, Jeremy Jorgenson, Joshua Johnson, Luke Johnson, Zachary Johnson, and Ben Johnson; twenty great-grandchildren: Dr. Brittany Brindle, Dr. Brock Tostenson, Jorgen Scott, Maxwell Scott, Samantha Block, Cole Block, Tate Jorgenson, Avery Jorgenson, Reese Johnson, Jacob Johnson, Caroline Johnson, Kennedy Johnson, Evangeline Johnson, Colton Johnson, Charlotte Johnson, Levi Johnson, Katherine Johnson, Beau Johnson, Thatcher Johnson, and Blaire Johnson; four sisters: Delores Hoaas, Patricia Munsterman, Violet Klungness, and Ruth Ann Sletten; two foster children: Carol (Fox) Sam and Karen Kelly; many nieces and nephews; and numerous friends.

Preceding him in death were his parents; parents-in-law, Oscar and Selma (Quaal) Torstenson; his wife, Marlys in January of 2015; four brothers: Archie, Milton, Birdeen and Robert Johnson; a sister, Alice Envoldson; and  a foster child, Russell Brandt.

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