Obituary for Glenn W. Johnson
Glenn W. Johnson, age 92, of Watertown, SD passed away Friday, January 15, 2021 at Country View Assisted Living in Florence.
Private family services will be on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown with Pastor Cheryl Rondeau-Bassett officiating.
A recording of Glenn's service can be viewed on the website.
A public visitation will be from 1:00-2:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Masks are required for anyone attending.
Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Watertown.
Pallbearers will be Glenn's sons, Bill, Ken and Steve Johnson, his nephews, Gary Jongeling and Marc Johnson, and his grandson-in-law, Jason Mark.
Glenn was born March 14, 1928, and had reached the age of 92 years, 10 months, and 1 day. He was the youngest of 14 children born to Steve and Lena (Johnson) Johnson. Glenn said his parents finally got it perfect when he was born, so they didn't have any more children after him.
Glenn told us many stories as the years went by. There was one about the big Veteran's Day Blizzard in 1941 when he was delivering papers, and was rescued by his sister, Phyllis.
When Glenn finished high school, he and Corky Mohring took off for across the country in a panel truck. They traveled several southwestern states, working jobs along the way. When they got to California they were stopped by law enforcement. Glenn was asked to show his driver's license. He said he didn't need one, because he was from South Dakota. (South Dakota didn't require a driver's license until 1954!) The fellas ended up having to get California drivers licenses.
While he was dating Mary Ann Kruthoff, he had occasion to partake of special meals with her family. To impress him, they served asparagus. Glenn did not like asparagus, but pretended it was great! Therefore, he got asparagus when he ate there for quite some time! Despite this, Glenn and Mary were united in Marriage on October 2nd, 1949. They celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary while both in the hospital, fighting COVID.
Once upon a time Glenn had quite a car...a Lincoln Zephyr V 12. We're not sure if he and Mary took it on their honeymoon, or if he just impressed her with it some other time.
Everyone played together in this family, whether cross country skiing, kite flying, or flying radio control airplanes. In fact, Glenn would work on building his airplanes, and then whenever there was a special family gathering, after the noon meal someone would say, “Let's go crash Dad's plane!” They all would take off to find an open spot where they could fly their planes.
Glenn liked to hunt, and one day when he was out bow hunting for deer, lightning struck a tree very near the tree where he was sitting. It kinda got his attention. We wonder if that is what happened to his hearing!
Camping was a big deal. Glenn & Mary's dog, Bernie could hardly wait for the time to take that camper out to the lake. But when it was time to come back to town, Bernie protested! Later they camped at “Grandpa's Lake” on the Jongeling farm. Mary would do her plein air watercolor paintings out there, and we think Glenn was probably shooting gophers.
Ice boating was a really big deal because the ice was only decent for ice boating once in every half dozen years or more. Glenn and his sons would bundle up like they were going to the north pole. The cold wind would propel those sleds with runners across that lake up to 35 miles an hour. Bump bump bump, and they hoped they would not run into any open spots!
Glenn would attempt to fix most anything. Honestly, with duck tape or glue, it's probably better than new!
Glenn was a gardener, and he grew everything from flowers to vegetables. He always made sure he planted sweet corn! His grape vine generally produced more grape jelly than they could handle.
Be it sweltering heat or freezing cold, whenever there was a parade, you could count on Glenn to be there with his tribe. And then there was a feast at the Johnson house afterward, with grandchildren that he loved to tease.
Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife, Mary; five sons, David (Joanne) of Watertown, SD, Doug (deceased), Bill (Mary) of Newton, KS, Ken (Jeanne) of Bangor, WI, and Steve (Donna) of Watertown, SD; 8 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; his siblings, Phyllis Jongeling of Watertown, SD, and Harold Johnson of Carson City, NV; and his nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his son Douglas Johnson, his granddaughter Amber Johnson, 8 brothers, and 3 sisters.
Cards or memorials may be directed to Mary Johnson, C/O Steve Johnson at 2310 Grant Drive, Watertown, SD 57201.
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There is a beautiful poem by Henry Van Dyke called "Gone From My Sight" that seems so appropriate at times like this.
Gone From My Sight
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone"
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me--not in her.
And just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
Private family services will be on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown with Pastor Cheryl Rondeau-Bassett officiating.
A recording of Glenn's service can be viewed on the website.
A public visitation will be from 1:00-2:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Masks are required for anyone attending.
Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Watertown.
Pallbearers will be Glenn's sons, Bill, Ken and Steve Johnson, his nephews, Gary Jongeling and Marc Johnson, and his grandson-in-law, Jason Mark.
Glenn was born March 14, 1928, and had reached the age of 92 years, 10 months, and 1 day. He was the youngest of 14 children born to Steve and Lena (Johnson) Johnson. Glenn said his parents finally got it perfect when he was born, so they didn't have any more children after him.
Glenn told us many stories as the years went by. There was one about the big Veteran's Day Blizzard in 1941 when he was delivering papers, and was rescued by his sister, Phyllis.
When Glenn finished high school, he and Corky Mohring took off for across the country in a panel truck. They traveled several southwestern states, working jobs along the way. When they got to California they were stopped by law enforcement. Glenn was asked to show his driver's license. He said he didn't need one, because he was from South Dakota. (South Dakota didn't require a driver's license until 1954!) The fellas ended up having to get California drivers licenses.
While he was dating Mary Ann Kruthoff, he had occasion to partake of special meals with her family. To impress him, they served asparagus. Glenn did not like asparagus, but pretended it was great! Therefore, he got asparagus when he ate there for quite some time! Despite this, Glenn and Mary were united in Marriage on October 2nd, 1949. They celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary while both in the hospital, fighting COVID.
Once upon a time Glenn had quite a car...a Lincoln Zephyr V 12. We're not sure if he and Mary took it on their honeymoon, or if he just impressed her with it some other time.
Everyone played together in this family, whether cross country skiing, kite flying, or flying radio control airplanes. In fact, Glenn would work on building his airplanes, and then whenever there was a special family gathering, after the noon meal someone would say, “Let's go crash Dad's plane!” They all would take off to find an open spot where they could fly their planes.
Glenn liked to hunt, and one day when he was out bow hunting for deer, lightning struck a tree very near the tree where he was sitting. It kinda got his attention. We wonder if that is what happened to his hearing!
Camping was a big deal. Glenn & Mary's dog, Bernie could hardly wait for the time to take that camper out to the lake. But when it was time to come back to town, Bernie protested! Later they camped at “Grandpa's Lake” on the Jongeling farm. Mary would do her plein air watercolor paintings out there, and we think Glenn was probably shooting gophers.
Ice boating was a really big deal because the ice was only decent for ice boating once in every half dozen years or more. Glenn and his sons would bundle up like they were going to the north pole. The cold wind would propel those sleds with runners across that lake up to 35 miles an hour. Bump bump bump, and they hoped they would not run into any open spots!
Glenn would attempt to fix most anything. Honestly, with duck tape or glue, it's probably better than new!
Glenn was a gardener, and he grew everything from flowers to vegetables. He always made sure he planted sweet corn! His grape vine generally produced more grape jelly than they could handle.
Be it sweltering heat or freezing cold, whenever there was a parade, you could count on Glenn to be there with his tribe. And then there was a feast at the Johnson house afterward, with grandchildren that he loved to tease.
Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife, Mary; five sons, David (Joanne) of Watertown, SD, Doug (deceased), Bill (Mary) of Newton, KS, Ken (Jeanne) of Bangor, WI, and Steve (Donna) of Watertown, SD; 8 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; his siblings, Phyllis Jongeling of Watertown, SD, and Harold Johnson of Carson City, NV; and his nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his son Douglas Johnson, his granddaughter Amber Johnson, 8 brothers, and 3 sisters.
Cards or memorials may be directed to Mary Johnson, C/O Steve Johnson at 2310 Grant Drive, Watertown, SD 57201.
**************************************************************************************************************************
There is a beautiful poem by Henry Van Dyke called "Gone From My Sight" that seems so appropriate at times like this.
Gone From My Sight
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone"
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me--not in her.
And just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"