Duane "Notch" "Sonny" Johnson

Duane “Notch” Johnson, age 74, of Lengby, MN, passed away on Friday, April 1st, at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, ND. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 9th, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lengby with the Rev. Gene Lilienthal officiating. Family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service on Saturday morning at the church. Military honors will be conducted by the Spring Lake V.F.W. Post #2759 of Lengby and the Naval Honors Team. There will be a time of gathering and visiting immediately following the service at the Lengby Community Hall. All are welcome. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Fosston and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com.

Duane Steven Johnson was born on March 23, 1948, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota to parents Duane and Nina (Nelson) Johnson. He grew up in Detroit Lakes and graduated from Detroit Lakes High School in 1966 under the nickname of “Sonny”. He enlisted in the United States Navy in November of 1967 and served in Vietnam during the majority of the war, with his last stint in Kodiak, Alaska. Sonny received his honorable discharge in 1970 and was part of the Naval Reserves until January of 1973.

After his discharge, he returned to Minnesota and attended school to be an electrician. He was previously married to Pat Johnson and together they had two children, Kirstin and Wade. During his career as an electrician, he worked with several companies, including one that took him for two years to Africa (a place he really liked). He finished his career as an electrician at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen.

Notch was married to Tammie Schabacker on October 25, 2003. They purchased a home on Spring Lake in Lengby and have lived there since that time. He was passionate about the outdoors and enjoyed many outdoor activities, including hunting, camping, working in his yard, spending time in the woods, picking varieties of berries and mushrooms, and time in his boat(s). His favorite outdoor pastime was fishing in any season or climate. He also enjoyed cooking (especially for his wife, Tammie), snowmobiling, fourw-heeling, and being out with friends. He will be dearly missed.

Survivors include his wife, Tammie, of Lengby; siblings, William (Charlotte) Stoltzman of Zimmerman, MN, Milo (Jennifer) Johnson of Hawley, MN, and Cindy Dibley of Detroit Lakes, MN; daughter, Kirstin (Jorge) Perales of North Branch, MN, and Wade (Amber) Johnson of Lengby; stepsons, Joseph (Amy) Tollefson of Whapeton, ND, and Derick (Cory) Tollefson of Lengby; five grandchildren, Jacob Perlaes, Rebecca Perales, Alexus Johnson, Rain Johnson, Issybelle Johnson, Wade Johnson Jr., and Loki Johnson; step grandchildren, Reed Tollefson, Chandler Tollefson, Leddie Tollefson, Tanessa Tollefson, and Tayson Tollefson.

Also surviving are his father and mother-in-law, Walter and Bernice Schabacker of Bejou, MN; sisters-in-law, Lorrie (Norman) Hillstad of Gary, MN, Hollie Schabacker (ElRio Wishard) of Trail, MN; and brother-in-law, Kellie Schabacker of Bejou, MN. Nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and an infant great granddaughter.

Honorary Pallbearers: John Joy, Danny Straub, Jim Fisher, Ken Lomen, LeRoy Sander, John Ringeisen.