Gordon Johnson

Minot, ND passed from

this life to life eternal on

July 11, 2018 at a Roches-

ter, MN, medical facility.

Gordon was born Janu-

ary 5, 1931 to Henry and

Esther Johnson in Everett,

WA. He moved with his

parents to Minot in the

forties and graduated from

Minot High School in

1949. His favorite

memories of High School

were FFA and playing the

cornet.

Gordon married Leona

Mae Klimpel on June 7,

1959 at St. Peter’s Luth-

eran Church, Sawyer, ND.

They made their home on

the North Dakota State

Fairgrounds where he

served as the Grounds Su-

perintendent. He spent a

total of 45 years working

for the fair.

Gordon was an active

member of St. Paul’s

Lutheran Church in

Minot. He enjoyed travel-

ing with family and at-

tending fairs around the

country. Gordon was a

member of the Minot Cur-

ling Club and served for

many years as ice maker.

His team took first place

in the USCA Senior Men’s

National in 1987. He en-

joyed keeping busy with

woodworking, his lawn

and flowers, working at

his farm at Berthold and

having “coffee with the

boys”. He shared Leona’s

interest in collecting and

displaying Hallmark orna-

ments and Dept. 56

houses.

In his retirement years

he drove the chase car for

Deneschuk Homes and

volunteered at the Norsk

Hostfest. Gordon was a

loving husband and cared

for Leona during her bat-

tle with MS.

His loving family in-

cludes: children, DeAnn

(Nelson) Acosta, Mililani,

HI; Denise (Joel) Lueh-

mann, Mankato, MN;

grandchildren Nolan and

Landon Acosta; Adam

Luehmann; Emily (Tho-

mas) Frank nee Lueh-

mann; brother-in-law Ver-

non (Ione) Klimpel, Fargo;

sisters-in-law Linda (El-

don) Schlosser, Bismarck;

Anna (LaVerne) Tofstad,

Erskine, MN; and

numerous nieces,

nephews and cousins.

Gordon was preceded

in death by his parents

and his wife, Leona.

Celebration of Life Ser-

vice: 1:30 p.m. Wednes-

day, July 18, at St. Paul’s

Lutheran Church, Minot.

Interment: Rosehill

Memorial Park, Minot, ND

Visitation: Tuesday

from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00

p.m. in Thomas Family

Funeral Home, Minot.

Those wishing to sign

the online memorial regis-

ter or share memories are

invited to use the expres-

sions of sympathy section

at (www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com)