Earle Johnson

Earle A. Johnson, age 96, of Atwater, died Wednesday evening, December 17, at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.

Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, December 20, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater. The interment will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Friday, December 19, at the Atwater Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorials are preferred to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater.

Earle Amandus Johnson was born March 5, 1912, on the family farm east of Atwater, Minnesota, the son of Thomas and Elena (Nelson) Johnson. He grew up and attended school in the Atwater community. He married Dorothy Miller on March 31, 1944.. Earle was a lifelong farmer in the Atwater area. He was an active member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, serving on the church council and on the cemetery board and as sexton of the cemetery for many years. Earle loved being with family and friends and he enjoyed traveling and woodworking.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy of Atwater; a son, Randall (and Barbara) Johnson of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin; three step-grandchildren; eleven step-great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; six brothers, Berger, Truman, Newell Thomas, Russell and two in infancy; and three sisters, Stella Nelson, Elena Knudsen and Myrtle Yarco.