Jerome "Bud" Johnson
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Jerome "Bud" Johnson, age 91, of Fosston, MN, passed away on Wednesday, November 13th, at Essentia Health Hospital in Fargo, ND. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 18th, at Kingo Lutheran Church in Fosston with the Rev. John Ragan officiating. Interment will be in Kingo Lutheran Cemetery, Fosston. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service on Sunday, November 17th, at the Carlin Funeral Home in Fosston. There will also be reviewal for one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Fosston and messages of condolence may be sent at www.carlinfuneral.com.
Bud was born August 21,1928 in Fosston, MN to Albert and Ruth (Rue) Johnson. Bud was the second of five boys. He spent most of his young life on the family farmstead located on the west edge of Fosston. He graduated high school in 1946. After a year at Aaker's Business School in Grand Forks, ND, Bud met Grace Benson, the love of his life, at Pine Lake Pavillion near her home in Clearbrook, MN. Grace and Bud were married July 16, 1949, at Kingo Lutheran Church, Fosston, MN.
Bud and Grace "Babe" made their home for the first 20 years in Fosston and during this time God blessed them with 5 children: Steve, Mike, Deb, Tim and Mark. The family was active in Kingo Lutheran Church during these 20 years. Bud was a man of faith, and Grace and he raised their family with Jesus at the center.
Next to Grace, God, and family, Bud's greatest love was his grandchildren and flying. Bud made his living flying and also in his father Albert's business, Johnson Potato Company. Bud fell in love with airplanes when he was about 5 years old. His parents said that he saw an airplane fly low overhead one day and got all excited, asking a hundred questions. He hence became a model airplane fanatic throughout his school age years and would save his pennies to go for rides in real planes whenever he could. Bud owned his first airplane at age 18, a 1939 J-3 PiperCub, trading his car for it. He earned his living farming and spraying and dusting ag crops with his first business, Northland Aerial Spraying. He operated this business until 1969 when he moved his family to East Grand Forks, MN having formed Ryan Ag Service with his partners. During seasons the ag business was silent Bud worked flying engineers tending missile silos throughout North Dakota and eastern Montana. Bud served several years as president of the Minnesota Agricultural Aviation Association. Bud and Grace returned to Fosston to live in 1991 after they retired.
Bud supplemented his income, and fun, by flying "bush" in northern Minnesota and Canada for years, and also made several trips to Alaska. They fished on frozen lakes using ski planes as their transportation and also hunted wolves and fox from low and slow flying planes. Wolf and fox bounties paid very well at that time. His adventures and misadventures were numerous on these winter expeditions. He wrote a book entitled "Flying a Little Over Stall Speed" which details his flying life. Bud was a member of Fosston Lions' Club and also spent many years as a Fosston volunteer fireman.
On Wednesday, November 13th Bud passed away, after a short illness, at Essentia Hospital, Fargo, ND at the age of 91 years. He was blessed with great health for over 91 years and was residing at Cornerstone Residence in Fosston when he fell ill in November.
Bud is survived by son Dr. Michael (Gaynell) Johnson, Watertown SD; daughter in law Kathy Johnson, Fosston, MN; brothers Robert (Beverly) Johnson, Anchorage Alaska: Leroy (Micky) Johnson, Texas; grandchildren Tracy (Greg) Hendrickson, Travis (Sarah) Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Tannar Johnson, Taylor (Rebecca) Tesch, Chantal (Dustin)Engel, Charity Mealman, Destiny (Kris) Spike; and twelve great grandchildren.
Bud was preceded in death by his wife Grace; parents Albert and Ruth (Rue) Johnson; brothers Marvin Johnson and Richard "Dick" Johnson; sons Steven, Timothy and Mark Johnson; daughter Deborah Johnson, and great granddaughter Miranda.