Thomas R. Johnson

Tom had such a kind nature and good sense of humor. We’re so glad he was in our lives. You will be sorely missed. Love Emily, Wyatt, and Waylon Bell

Always remember him showing me how to fish trout in LODI CREEL RIP

I will so miss our weekly golf outings. No more pain. Hit 'em straight. Your loving cousin Darlene Johnson

I wonder how many people know that the brown trout they catch in the creek below my and Tom's house on Highway K are descendants of the trout Tom and I stocked there over 50 years ago. Tom and I were best friends growing up, fishing, hunting, working together on Spilde's farm, and just hanging out together. I remember the times I would help him sneak out of his basement window after Ethel restricted him to the house for a year due to some kind of trouble he, my brother Dale, and I got into. Later on there were the times when we would head north to the St. Croix Flowage late evening to welcome the next day fishing for northerns from a rented boat. Sometimes we would spend a week there, fishing from dawn to dusk, never keeping a thing after we admired our catch. We solved world problems and, of course, told lies and shared dreams. Eventually I chased my dream to Missouri and, after some wild oat sowing, he did also. It was 40 years before we reconnected and now we can no longer connect on this side of the great divide I already miss his presence and hope to meet him on the other side because we still have some stories to share. He was a truly neat friend and human.

Of the 13 Johnson cousins Tom and I were closest in age so we interacted quite a bit as kids. Good times. Many of these occurred every New Year's Day when all the Johnsons gathered at the home of Tom's folks. One memorable evening involved a spirited game of caroms with our dads after enjoying one of Ethel's delicious meals. One not-so-memorable time was a late October evening when Tom and I were exploring the creek in back of his house. Upon an attempted crossing I fell in and got completely soaked. The adults were not too happy about this turn of events and we both really "caught it". Hopefully this wasn't the event that led to Tom's grounding mentioned by Alan! Needless to say, we were numbed and saddened to hear of Tom's passing. Rest in peace Tom.