Obituary: Charles Johnson

Charles Vanner Johnson, 88, of Jackson, passed away Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the Sogge Good Samaritan Center in Windom. Celebration of Life service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church with Pastor Bryan Simmons officiating. Inurnment with military honors will be 10 a.m. Tuesday in Riverside Cemetery in Jackson.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, April 9, 2012, at the Osterberg Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service Tuesday at the church.

Charles Vanner Johnson was born August 7, 1923, in East Chain, Minnesota, and graduated from East Chain High School in 1942. From 1943-1946 he was a member of the Air Force division of the US Army. After training he was deployed to Cuba to work as an engine mechanic on B29 airplanes. In 1945 Charles met the love of his life and married Geralene Meyer of Jackson, Minnesota. Following the end of the war, Charles returned to Minnesota and set up farming in Petersburg Township. He was an Honorary Chapter Farmer (FFA) for Jackson County.

His leadership roles include serving on various boards including: Petersburg Township Board(Clerk for 12 years), District 75 School Board Chairman (served as Clerk), Jackson County Fair Board (Director of Jackson County Fair Association), Jackson County Farm Bureau (Director for 8 years), Production Credit Association (Director for 15 years 1971-1986), Jackson Count Cattleman’s Association, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (Trustee for 6 years and Chair of Parish Board of Education for 1 year), Jackson County Red Cross, Jackson County AAA (American Auto Association), Jackson County Livestock Improvement Association, Chamber of Commerce, Jackson County Livestock Feeders (Organizer Chair for 3 years, on Board 6 years) and Lutheran Brotherhood Chair (4 years). He was a 4-H Adult Leader for 10 years, Chair of the Ag Advisory Committee for Jackson Vocational School and helped organize the Beef Bonanza Carcass Show.

In 1985 he retired from full-time farming to spend winters at Leisure World in Mesa, Arizona. There he and Jerry enjoyed seeing family and friends from Minnesota, meeting new friends and having visits from their children and grandchildren. He had a shop off the garage of their house where he made many beautiful and intricately cut wood items. His creativity and attention to detail were evident in his beautiful flower gardens and architectural designs for home renovations. He was able to enjoy fishing trips to northern Minnesota and Alaska as well as tours of Israel, Scandinavia and England. The cottage at Spirit Lake, Iowa, was a source of some the most memorable times with family and friends. Above all, he will best be remembered by his family as a loving father and grandfather who was kind, gentle, strong, honest, diligent and hard working.

Charles is survived by his children, Judy (Jim) Olson, Van (Marcia) Johnson, Pat Blacker, Chuck (Heidi) Johnson; grandchildren, Lindsay Massey, Jeremy (Cathy) Olson, Dain Blacker, Danielle Blacker and Dylan Blacker; great-grandchildren, Carter and Kennedy Olson; a brother, Ralph (Bonnie) Johnson; and a sister, Norma (Charley) Talbert.

He is preceded in death by his wife Geralene, his parents, Vanner and Evelyn (Erickson) Johnson and a brother, Claude.

Tags: charles johnson, obituaries

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