Donald Johnson

Donald Johnson, age 85, of Gully, MN, passed away on Saturday, July 24th, at McIntosh Senior Living in McIntosh, MN. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 30th, at the Carlin Funeral Home in Fosston with Pastor Gary Johnson and Pastor David Johnson officiating. Interment will be in Kingo Lutheran Cemetery, Fosston. Family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service on Friday at the funeral home. Military honors will be conducted by the National Guard Honors Team. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Fosston and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com.

Donald Lloyd Johnson was born on November 3, 1935, in Fosston, Minnesota to parents Oscar and Esther (Rue) Johnson. He grew up on the Johnson home farm in Eden Township, attended the Gully Elementary and graduated from Fosston High School in 1953.

After high school he attended LBI (Lutheran Bible Institute) in Minneapolis for a year. He worked in Cloquet, Minnesota and then he moved to Montana (a place he dearly loved). While in Montana, he worked at the Wolfe Point Hog Farm, Dana Ranch, Leonard Rossmiller farm in Montana. He also drove road grader in Dutton, Montana. He was well-liked and kept in touch with many of them throughout his life. He spent a few years in Illinois where he hauled sheetrock and where he met and married his wife. After their marriage they returned to his roots at the home farm near Gully where he lost his arm in a farming accident, but continued to farm the rest of his life. He was a very hard worker and put his all into everything he did.

While in the U.S. Army, after being deployed to Korea, he was selected to be a driver for a Colonel’s vehicle. Because of that experience, Don was able to go many places he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to go.

He was married to Nancy Schmidt on April 20, 1963, and two daughters were born from this marriage, Robin and Rebekah.

Don had many interests including tractors, old westerns, animals, hunting, farming, water skiing, horseback riding, and history.

He always had a deep love for airplanes and built many models. He held a pilot’s license for several years and, in his later years, he enjoyed his flight simulator, flying planes even out of the country. He also organized Christian music groups for a number of churches and services in the area. He was a man of strong faith-prayer warrior that friends and family could always count on.

Don passed away peacefully, with his family by his side on Saturday morning, July 24, 2021 at McIntosh Senior Living at the age of 85 years.

Survivors include his two daughters, Robin (Mark) Nelson of Zimmerman, MN, and Rebekah (Rolf) Flen of Pequot Lakes, MN; eight grandchildren, Tarah Nelson of Zimmerman, MN, Brianna Nelson of Blaine, MN, Riley Nelson of Zimmerman, MN, and Brayton, Talya, Tasia, Talem and Sadiah Flen, all of Pequot Lakes, MN; two sisters, Phyl Gemar of MT, and Gail Rossmiller of MT; two brothers, Gary (Lois) Johnson of Gully, MN, and David (Brenda) Johnson of Bagley, MN; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; former wife, Nancy Johnson; and sister, Marilyn Ramberg and two nephews.