Funeral Service: 2:00 PM Saturday, June 23, at First Baptist Church of Cokato
Visitation: 3-8 PM Friday at First Baptist Church of Cokato
Prayer service 7 PM Friday at church
Interment: North Crow River Lutheran Cemetery
Russell Albert Johnson, age 83, of Cokato,
passed away Tuesday June 19, 2012
at Cokato Manor Nursing Home. Russ, the son of Albert and Martha Johnson, was
born April 11, 1929 at the
Johnson family homestead in French Lake
Township north of Cokato. He grew up
in the Cokato area, attended Birch Lake
country school and graduated from Cokato
High School in 1947. Russ was
baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith and was a lifetime member of the North
Crow River Lutheran
Church. Russ was united in marriage
to the love of his life, Betty Jean Olean, on May 13, 1950 at St. John’s
Lutheran Church
in Annandale. He farmed 300 rented
acres until entering the US Army in 1953. After his discharge in 1955, Russ and
Betty purchased the family homestead where he farmed and worked as an
apprentice electrician. In 1961 he was appointed by US
Secretary of Agriculture, Orville Freeman to serve on the Minnesota Agriculture
and Stabilization and Conservation Committee (A.S.C.). As Minnesota State
Committeeman he was one of three in charge of federal agriculture programs, and
served in that capacity for eight years. Russ enjoyed his years in agriculture
and had the opportunity to travel throughout Minnesota
and made several trips to Washington DC.
He met and worked with many people including his good friends Hubert Humphrey
and Bob Bergland (who later became the US
Secretary of Agriculture). He had the opportunity to meet President Kennedy in
a White House Rose Garden ceremony and attended the 1966 All-Star game in St.
Louis with Vice President Humphrey where he recounted
his experiences with the Secret Service. After being offered a transfer to Washington
DC in 1969, the family decided to remain in
Cokato where Russ started an electrical contracting business, which he operated
until 2010.
Russ had a passion for education and was elected to the Dassel-Cokato
School Board in 1973 and served for 26 years. Having served on the Board that
developed the Character Building Pillars, upon his retirement Russ was honored
by the establishment of the Russell A. Johnson Courtesy and Respect Award which
is given monthly to a student who has demonstrated good character.
Russ loved his family dearly and often repeated his belief that “the
most important gift a father can give his children is to love their mother and
show it”. He joked that he hadn’t gotten far in life, as he lived for most
of his life in the same house where he was born, but pointed out that he had
been to a lot of places in between.
Left to cherish Russ’ memory are his wife Betty of Cokato, and children
Debra (Neal) Wahlman of Plymouth, Marion (Phil) Lee of Cokato, Randy (Lynda)
Johnson of Cokato, and Teri (Jim) Johnson of Big Lake, grandchildren Jon
(Jenny) Lee, Bengt (Emily) Lee, Noah (Laura) Lee, Annalicia (Phil) Niemala, Grant
Johnson, Zachary Johnson, Calab Johnson, Brianna Johnson, Kate Johnson, Jeremy
(Mary) Wahlman-Krogh and Jason (Kristi) Wahlman, six great grandchildren,
sister LaVerne (Orville) Peterson and many relatives and friends. Russ was
preceded in death by his parents Albert and Martha, brother Donald, infant
brother Stanley and infant son Mark.