Milton F. Johnson

Milton Frederick Johnson was born November 17, 1921 as the second son of Anna I. (Finch) and Oliver Johnson. He and his brother (Oliver Jr. known as Bud) and their dog Trailer enjoyed their young years living at the eastern side of LaMoure. He learned to care for the livestock his parents raised - some chickens, geese, a cow or two as well as Trailer. His parents taught him to garden which was a hobby he enjoyed for many years. His father raised vegetables and his mother raised flowers including sweet peas which were his life long favorite. His father was the LaMoure city employee and Milt and Bud were hired for 12.5 cents an hour to paint the water tower in LaMoure when they were 12 and 16 years old. He attended school in LaMoure and graduated from high school in 1939. He attended his 65th reunion this spring and was the Grand Marshall of the Alumni Parade.
After high school, he went to work at the local Ford garage. His parents moved from their small house into the "Big House", one of the largest houses in LaMoure. In 1942, he was drafted into the Army. His basic training was in Colorado where he was in a mule artillery unit that worked in high altitudes. He was assigned to Fort Ord CA. From there, his unit went to the Aleutian Islands. When no enemy was found after several months, the unit was shipped across the country and sent to Virginia where they boarded ships for Naples, Italy. Milt served as a cook and moved the mobile kitchens with each troop movement. He was creative enough to know that if he could find one real egg, shell and all, to mix with the powdered eggs, the complaints from the troops dropped significantly. He enjoyed taking a turn at cooking his entire life.
After he returned from the war, he married Geraldine Taron in 1946. Milt and Gerry bought a café from her parents when they moved to Moorhead. But after Milt was called back into the service in 1950, they sold the café. Milt belonged to the reserves and was called back to serve as a trainer at Fort Leonard Wood, MO from 1950 to 1951. They built their first house from several old granaries and raised their family there. When Milt returned, he served as LaMoure County Auditor. They moved to Rapid City, S. D. in 1957 but returned to Moorhead in 1958 where he lived in the same house until August 6, 2003.
Milt worked at many different places, including some as second jobs, over the years, including South West Blood Bank, V. A. Hospital, T. F. Powers Construction, Konan Cab Co. and for A.S.P. Security as a security guard from which he retired after 19 years.
In 1966, they bought a lot on West McDonald Lake and spent several years building the cabin and enjoying pontoon rides with friends. They really enjoyed having the grandchildren visit and enjoyed the beautiful swimming beach. They sold their place in 1990. They enjoyed several trips after this including to Hawaii, Florida and Texas before his wife's health deteriorated. Gerry died April 4, 1998.


He was a member of the American Legion and an active member of the Eagles for many years. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003, he decided he would not be able to care for his home and garden any longer. He moved to the basic care unit at the Veterans Home at Lisbon and thoroughly enjoyed his time there and made many special friends on the nursing staff and among the residents.
His survivors are his daughter Faith Meurrens and husband Dan of Moorhead, MN; his son Kent and wife Sheila of Fargo, ND and their children Jay Dustin and Cody Kent; and his son Duke and wife Judy of Moorhead MN, and their children, Anna Marie Blitz and h
Visitation for Milt will be Monday, September 6, 2004, from 6 - 8 PM, in Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead. His funeral will be Tuesday, September 7, 2004, 11 AM, in Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Moorhead. Burial will take place in Riverside Cemet