Earl Arve Johnson, 94

Earl Arve Johnson passed away on June 27, 2020, at the age of 94, due to natural causes.

He was born May 12, 1926, to Arve and Valeria Weeks Johnson in Hatch, Idaho. Earl was raised on a farm and learned early on the value of hard work. His youth and high school years brought him much joy, including riding his beloved horse, Old Mary, to grade school and starring on the Bancroft football team.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduation, proudly serving at the end of World War II in China and the Pacific front. After returning home, he attended Utah State University, majoring in welding engineering.

In 1948, he met and married the love of his life, Pauline Maughan Johnson, and recently celebrated 72 years of marriage. He and Polly moved to Idaho Falls where Earl worked for Westinghouse building the first atomic submarine. The couple were blessed with six children, Julie Woody, Janet, David (Patricia), Brett, Jeff, and Jennifer Johnson-Bell (Steve).

Earl deeply appreciated nature and the outdoors. The family moved to Great Falls in 1957 where he started Modern Soft Water. A true entrepreneur, Earl later left the plains for the Flathead Valley, where he turned Northwestern Truss into a major supplier to builders. He served as a bishop for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and was a dedicated Scout master for several troops, guiding the Scouts on many 50-mile hikes through places like the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Besides his church service, his passions in life included flying, owning three airplanes, horses, hunting, fishing and golf. He also loved reciting poetry and playing music, teaching himself to play the harmonica, mandolin and guitar. He loved to tell stories about his adventures, especially to his eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arve and Valeria, sister Dorothy, son Brett, and granddaughter Stacy Shane.