William "Bill" Jennings Johnson

William “Bill” Jennings Johnson, 88, a cherished member of Crookston, MN, passed away peacefully at the Villa St. Vincent in Crookston, on September 23, 2024. Bill was born on June 12, 1936, to loving parents, Edwin and Alice (Jensen) Johnson. 

Bill was born one of five children in Audubon Township in Minnesota, and attended grade school and high school in Lake Park, graduating with the class of 1954. While in high school, Bill met and married the love of his life, Marlys DeGroat, they married shortly after graduating and shared 68 joyful years together, and raised three boys: Keith, Steven, and Nathan. 

The same year Marlys came into Bill’s life, he joined the Army and proudly served for four years, spending his first two years in Granite City, and finishing his enlistment in Korea from 1957-1958. That same year, Bill received an honorable discharge and returned to Lake Park where he, and Marlys, began building their life. For ten dedicated years, Bill worked as a Dairy Farmer before moving to Crookston in 1969, when he began working at Fert-L-Flow. After three years, Bill transitioned into the role, in which he retired from in 2019, as a Production Supervisor. 

Bill was kind with a gentle spirit and generous heart. He believed in the importance of hard work and community, principles he instilled in his sons, along with his immense sense of humor. Even up until his final days he had the nurses at the Villa in hysterics, his laughter could fill a room, and his stories, often punctuated by warm humor, often brought friends and neighbors together—creating memories that will long be cherished. His family will always remember and miss the random dad jokes he would clip out and send to them in the mail. Above everything else, Bill was a dedicated family man and loved being a father! His children consider one of their greatest gifts from God, to be having Bill as their dad. Throughout the years, his sons and their wives, blessed Bill with grandchildren and great-grandchildren that he cherished every moment with, he was the first one at the hospital to welcome them into this world. He was extremely proud of every single one of them. 

In keeping with his commitment to community, Bill held several active roles throughout his life such as Habitat for Humanity, and was a dedicated member of Trinity Lutheran Church, in Crookston. 

William will be greatly missed by his family, yet they find comfort in knowing he is at peace with his Creator, and will certainly be waiting for them at the gates of Heaven. They will miss his dad jokes, his sense of humor, their trips to Dairy Queen (which Bill was a fanatic for), the hunting and fishing trips he took them on, his famous and unbeatable chocolate chip cookies and chicken noodle soup, as well as being able to see his infectious smile. They will remember him for the extraordinary man that he certainly was, and will always carry him in their hearts, as will Marlys, who was without a doubt the love of his life. 

May God Bless the Memory of William Jennings Johnson. 

Bill is survived by his loving wife, Marlys Johnson; Sons: Keith (Jane) Johnson, of Moorhead, MN; Steven (Arlene) Johnson, of Grand Forks, ND; Nathan (Annie) Johnson, of Moorhead; Grandchildren: Andrew (Amanda) Johnson, Kelsey (Andrew) Burns, Jay (Angela) Johnson, Kayla (Jake) Messner, Lindsey (Brian) Bolin, Brady Johnson, McKenzie (Joe) Novak, Natalie Johnson, and Madeline (Tyler) Gebhart; Great-Grandchildren: Gus, Adeline, Henley, MaCoy, Owen, Carter, Hadley, Jack, Leo, Ty, Jameson, and Elio; Brother, Ronald Johnson; Sister, Judy; as well as many other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edwin and Alice Johnson; Brother’s, Rodney and Douglas Johnson; and his beloved grandson, Eli Johnson. 

The Memorial Service honoring Bill’s life will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston, on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 11:00 AM, with Rev. Gregory Isaacson officiating. Visitation with the family will be held one-hour prior the service. At this time, Bill will be returning home with his loving wife and inurnment will take place at a later date.