ARTHUR K. JOHNSON

Arthur K. (A.K.) Johnson Arthur Kenneth (A. K.) Johnson, age 90, passed away peacefully Saturday, December 5th, 2015 at CHI St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck following a brief illness, encompassed by the love of his family. A.K. was born near Hannaford, ND on September 19, 1925, one of five children to parents Carl O. and Emma Johnson. He grew up on the family farm while attending rural country school and graduated from Hannaford High School. A.K. served honorably in the United States Army as a T-SGT at the end of WWII, the latter part of which was in Japan in the occupation forces. Upon returning home he enrolled in Concordia College and received his teaching degree in 1951. He then began a career in education which started as a high school classroom teacher. A.K. pursued an advanced degree in school administration and graduated from UND in 1957. He worked as a superintendent for 32 of his 37 years in the education field. Schools served during his career were Sawyer, Hannaford, Turtle Lake, Carrington and Underwood, all in North Dakota. A.K.’s love for teaching eventually led him to the love of his life, Florence Loge, who was an elementary teacher from Cooperstown, ND. The two were united in marriage on August 19, 1960. In the years to follow, God blessed them with many things, but their greatest blessings came in 1963 with a daughter, Nancy Suzanne, and again in 1965 with the arrival of their son, Gary Karl. A.K. and his family were blessed to call Turtle Lake, Carrington and Underwood “home”. A.K. served these communities as a friend, teacher, coach, superintendent, Sunday school teacher and church choir member. He enjoyed being active, but no matter how busy he was, he served the Lord first and always had time for his beloved family. A.K. and Florence retired to Cooperstown, ND in 1987. They resided on Florence's beautiful family farm, nestled peacefully in the Sheyenne River Valley, where he spent much of his retirement helping to develop the Griggs County Museum and was often eagerly running to town to give tours of the museum to people passing through town. With passion he shared the history of Cooperstown. He especially enjoyed the musical variety shows held each summer, even surprising the crowd one year with his yodeling. He was very interested in the local high school sports scene and occasionally was sighted attending local Jr. High games to see what new talent may be arriving in the near future. He was an avid organizer of Veteran's Day and Memorial Day, taking pride in honoring the brave service members who've served and lost their lives for this great country. When he wasn't as busy, you could find him tending to his garden and teaching his granddaughters how to fish, play baseball, build the perfect root beer float, and treat them to Sunday lunches at the local Pizza Ranch. In the evenings you could find Arthur seated comfortably in his rocking chair, transistor radio and yellow notepad in hand, diligently keeping score for his beloved MN Twins - 162 times a year. His annual trips to the cities for Twins games were like a pilgrimage to Jerusalem; cherished and appreciated, even more so when done with family. A.K.loved deeply and was loved even more so by all who knew him. His memory along with the legacy he built will forever be carried on by those still here, waiting until we're all together again. A.K.is survived by his wife of 55 years, Florence Johnson; daughter, Nancy (Jeff) Leidholm of Hensler, ND; son, Gary (Whitney) Johnson of Helendale, CA; three granddaughters Kayla (Luke) Wolf; Kadie Beckman and Kelcie Beckman, all of Bismarck, ND; great grandsons Aidan Arthur Beutler, Sutton Wolf and great granddaughter Wolf expected in March, 2016, all of Bismarck, ND; brother Roland (Delores) Johnson of Finley, ND; sister Esther (Ron) Neuman of Corona, CA; six nieces and five nephews, two sisters-in-law, Phyllis and Della Johnson. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Willard Johnson, Richard Johnson, and Ernest Johnson, and by his niece Sandra (Dave) Kocka. Funeral services will be Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 10:30 am at the Cornerstone Community Church, Cooperstown, ND. Visitation will be Friday from 5:00 pm till 7:00pm at the Quam-Plaisted-Cushman Funeral Home in Cooperstown, ND and one hour before services at the church. A Prayer Service will be Friday at 7:00 pm in the Funeral Home. Interment will immediately follow the service on Saturday, in the Saron Cemetery, rural Cooperstown, ND. In lieu of flowers please send memorials to the Griggs County Museum.