Gordon William Johnson

Gordon William Johnson was born on September 22, 1918, in Westerheim Township, to Stone and Anna (Esping) Johnson. He was baptized on December 8, 1920, and confirmed on July 2, 1933, at Westerheim Lutheran Church. Gordon attended country school at Riverside School District #3 and graduated from Morris Agricultural School in Morris, MN, in 1938. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on April 2, 1942. After basic training in California, he deployed overseas with the 289th Field Observation Battalion with whom he served during campaigns in New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon in the Philippines. After his honorable discharge, he returned to rural Minneota. On June 23, 1946, he was united in marriage to Alta Muhl at Hope Lutheran Church. The couple was married for over 64 years. They farmed and raised their family in Westerheim Township. Gordon was a member of Hope Lutheran Church where he served as an usher, council member and was on the call committee. He was a lifelong member of the American Legion Post 199 of Minneota. He enjoyed traveling South in the winter and visited Florida Texas, Arizona and California. He went on two cruises; one to the Caribbean and one to Alaska in 2004 with his family. He loved visiting as he traveled. In September of 2007, he went with World War II Veterans to Washington, D.C., on the Honor Flight, and visited the Arlington National Cemetery and other war memorials. Gordon died on Tuesday, December 14, 2010, at the Minneota Manor in Minneota, after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Alta, of rural Minneota, sons Glenn Johnson of rural Minneota, Gary Johnson of Fargo, ND, (and Nancy Johnson of Fargo, ND), Gregory ( Tracy) Johnson of Alamo, CA, grandchildren Eric, Kathryn and Matthew, great-grandchildren Carson and Kaden, brother Merlin Johnson and sister Annabelle Claeys, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Arlet Olson, Orlando Johnson and Esther Johnson. The family would like to thank everyone for the many kind expressions of sympathy shown to them during their time of loss. Please join them for lunch and fellowship in the church fellowship hall following the committal service. (No other card of thanks will be sent.) In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred Hope Lutheran Church of Minneota, Westerheim Cemetery fund, Prairie Home Hospice of Marshall, or the American Cancer Society.