Willis Johnson

Willis P. Johnson, 86, died February 12, 2004 in a Steele Nursing Home. Services will be Monday at 10 AM at Riverwood Baptist Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Todd Fuehrer officiating. Burial will be in the Riverview Cemetery, Wilton, ND. Visitation will be from 1 - 9 PM Sunday at Boelter-Eastgate Funeral Service, 200 W. Turnpike Ave., Bismarck. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Willis was born January 15, 1918, to Carl and Mamie Tosseth Johnson. He was raised during the depression years and learned young the value of hard work. He worked for his uncle Nels Tosseth from the age of 10. He loved working the land and learned well the skills of farming and ranching. Willis was very athletic and enjoyed baseball and football. He put everything he had into the sport and earned a football scholarship to Minot State College. He played football for them 1 year and was offered a job with a coal company at Wilton, ND. The pay was too hard to resist and he learned the skills of a dragline operator there. When World War II broke out, Willis enlisted in the United States Army and served as a Sergeant in the Military Police. He was part of the invasion at Normandy and served as honor guard for President Truman in Germany. He often shared with family he had never been as hungry as when he crossed France and Germany on his belly and only had one K-ration per day. These experiences taught him self-discipline, integrity and honesty, something the World War II Vets are noted for. Willis also taught and demonstrated judo techniques to the Army personnel after his return from the armed services. Willis met and married Norma Basart Johnson on December 21, 1946, at Wibaux, MT. They made their home at Hazen, ND, where Willis again worked the coal mines as a drag line operator. Willis and Norma purchased land near Robinson, ND, and spent vacations and free time getting set up to farm and ranch. In 1955, they moved to Robinson and lived the life he had always wanted from the time he was a small lad. He always wanted to be a "farmer". He raised his family there until 1971, when back surgery forced him to give up his love of farming. Willis again became a drag line operator for Brown & Root and helped dig the McClusky Canal. Willis retired and traveled with his wife until her illness and death in 1991. Willis enjoyed family and friends and lived alone in McClusky until 2001, when he came to live with his daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Larry at Gothenburg, NE. Willis entered Medcenter One Golden Manor in Steele, ND in the fall of 2003, and was lovingly cared for by the excellent staff at Golden Manor. They made his last days comfortable and are to be commended for their wonderful, caring staff. Willis is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Larry Seagren, Gothenburg, NE; two sons and daughters-in-law, Warren and Sally, Ponca City, OK and Jerry and Gaileen, Mandan, ND; his foster daughter, Beverly and husband, Vince Vollbrecht, Burlington, ND; 12 grandchildren, Amy Jo, Casey, Joby, Warren, Julie, Stacey, Shelley, Jason, Shane, Belinda, Christopher, and Teresa; numerous great grandchildren; two brothers, Marvin Johnson, Wilton, ND and Jack Johnson, Mandan, ND; and one sister, Lucille Anderson, Bismarck, ND. He was preceded in death by his wife, Norma; his brother, Jim; his sister, Maxine; and two great grandchildren.

Willis Johnson

January 15, 1918 - February 12, 2004