C. (Jerry) Johnson

C. Jerome Johnson was born to his parents Henry & Cornelia (Sundet) Johnson on September 24, 1922 in Fort Ransom, ND. He passed away after a short illness on July 5th in the Tri-County Hospital in Wadena. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, July 8th at 11:00 AM in the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wadena. Visitation will be held on Monday evening from 4:00 - 8:00 at the Johnson Memorial Home in Wadena. Jerry was a 1940 graduate of Lisbon High School. In November 1942 he entered the US Army. After basic training he was sent to Washington State to work for Boeing Aircraft until 1943 when he was transferred for training at Stanford University. In 1943 he was transferred to the U of North Dakota - Grand Forks, for a program in Radio & Repair. He then served overseas in New Guinea and the Phillipines from 1943 to 1946. He was with the first unit to land on the Phillipines to establish radio contact prior to the invasion of the Phillipines. After returning from the war he enrolled at Valley City State University and eventually transferred to the Indiana Institute of Mortuary Sciences in Vincennes, Indiana, graduating in 1949. Once he received his mortuary science license in 1950 he began work at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home in Fargo. He was united in marriage to Helen Marlys Friskop on June 3, 1951 in rural DeLamere, ND. Jerry and Marlys moved to Waconia to work for the Yetzer Funeral Home for a short time before starting work at the Glende-Johnson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls in 1952. In 1957 he moved to Wadena to work for Red Bjerke at the Buttruff - Bjerke Funeral Home. In 1960, he along with Albert Messer, purchased the funeral home from Red and renamed the business the Messer-Johnson Memorial Home. Albert passed away in 1973 and the funeral home name changed to it?s current name of the Johnson Memorial Home. Jerry was later joined in business by his two sons, Henry and Jon. Jerry retired from active work in funeral service in 1983 but continued to be involved with his sons in the business. In 2001 he was honored as a 50 year licensee by the Minnesota Department of Health - Mortuary Science Unit. He worked his last funeral service on Wednesday June 25th helping to care for a long time friend and fellow Lions Club member. Jerry was very active in his community. He served for a number of years on the OEO, Rural Minnesota CEP, Community Action Council board, was a 16 year member of the Wadena HRA board, served as President and received the Melvin Jones Award for the Wadena Lions Club, was a member of the VFW, the Elks Lodge and was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church - serving in several officer positions and committees. In 1997 he was honored as a Co-Grand Marshall for the Wadena June Jubilee parade in recognition for his many years of community service. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents; brother Henry and a sister Dorothy Mann. He is survived by his wife Marlys; daughter Cheryl (Mike) Kopacz of Hartford, WI; sons Henry (Pat) and Jon (Pat) both of Wadena and Tim (Jennell) of Silver Lake, MN; grandchildren Andrew, Molly, Scott, Katie, Aaron, Angie, Alissa & Samantha; brother Don (Becky) of Valley City; sisters Berniece Olson of San Diego and Eileen Albertson of St. Louis Park. Burial with full military honors, provided by the Elmer Goche Post 3922 VFW of Wadena, will take place in the Wadena Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Minnesota Foundation for Children.

C. (Jerry) Johnson

September 24, 1922 - July 5, 2003