John H. 'Johnny' Johnson, 90
John H. "Johnny" Johnson died June 15, 2024, at the age of 90. He was the son of Nels and Dena (Sunderland) Johnson. Born on March 27, 1934, and raised on a small farm north of Bagley, Minnesota, he obtained his GED at age 30. He was drafted into the Army in January 1957 and honorably discharged two years later. Like many at the time, it was his first adventure outside of the county and it started with train and bus rides to Seattle, Washington, for training before his post in Germany. He did a lot of driving there and when he returned home, he stopped in Minneapolis for his first used car. He met Nancy Harmon in Bagley, and they married on March 12, 1965. The West was calling to both of them, so they hooked up their small trailer and followed U.S. Highway 2 1,000 miles to Kalispell where they made their home until she passed in October 2016. They had been married for over 51 years. They were devoted to each other and poured countless hours of love and attention onto whichever small white dog they were raising at the time. They both learned to play acoustic and bass guitars and provided worship services for nursing home residents. Johnny believed in the healing power of prayer and maintained that deep faith and ability to pray even when all other memories had faded.
Johnny made a career out of his ability to repair small engines. He continued fixing and repairing small engines into their retirement years by buying used items on garage sales, fixing and painting them to look like new with Nancy doing the bookkeeping. By far, their most notable sale was a riding lawnmower to singer/actor Jim Nabors. They even had a chance to play music while he sang on their front porch.
They made several trips back to Minnesota to visit family and friends and welcomed them all when we ventured to their neck of the woods. They used their camper to winter in Arizona a few times and made several national park trips with Nancy's mother, Ida. Johnny could be a bit of a clown — climbing a tree like a monkey into his 50s or riding a bicycle sitting on the seat backward. Probably when he developed his favorite phrase "I don't know if I'm a'comin or a'goin." He and Nancy played a lot of pool and worked on several jigsaw puzzles when there wasn't a garden or lawn to attend to. Garage and auction sales provided plenty of opportunities to spend their free time and find great finds for their engine repair business. They also did daily Bible devotions together.
Family moved Johnny to Minnesota in 2021 when it became apparent that his memory loss was more than he could handle. He had been alone for almost five years and felt so blessed and happy to be surrounded by staff and other residents at the memory care assisted living in Monticello. He provided piano music daily to staff and residents until he lost the ability with a bout of COVID.
He is survived by sisters-in-law, Carol Olsen, Staples, Minnesota, and Carrie Harmon, Clearbrok, Minnesota, and several nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Nancy; sister, Joyce (Laverne) Dobson; brothers-in-law, Alvin (Betty) Harmon, David Harmon and Donald Olsen; and nephew, Allen Dobson.
A celebration of life was held for both Johnny and Nancy on Sunday, June 23, at Saron Lutheran Church in Big Lake, Minnesota. A burial service for Johnny will be held at Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kalispell on Sept. 14, 2024, at 10 a.m. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is assisting with the Kalispell arrangements.