Willard "Bill" Max Johnson

Willard Max “Bill” Johnson 86 of Shelley passed away August 30, 2009 at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

He was born on June 1, 1923 in Basalt, ID to Elizabeth Chapman and Hyrum Parley Johnson.  He was the youngest of 11 children and lived in Idaho all of his 86 years.

Bill attended grade school at Basalt and Goshen and was an honorary graduate of Firth High School in 2002 with his twin grandsons. 

At the age of 18 he joined the Army and became a member of the 291

st 

Engineer Combat Battalion and was stationed for basic training at Fort Swift in Texas.  He was a truck driver serving in the European Theatre and served for three years.  The 291

st

was credited with building the first pontoon bridge across the Rhine River beginning the end of World War II in Germany.  The enemy called them the Damned Engineers – a name they proudly claimed.

He met Verna Hansen Johnson a young war widow with a young daughter Sharon who he raised and loved as his first child.  They were married on the 3

rd

of May, 1946 at her parent’s home in Firth.

They were engaged in farming until 1953 when his back was injured and he had to turn to carpentry and concrete work.  After 8 surgeries on his back and fifty years later they found staph infection which he so courageously endured.  He was sick most of his life, but that rarely slowed him down.

He loved all of his children and grandchildren and greatly enjoyed all of their activities.  He was very kind and loving to all.

Bill was a member of the LDS Church and served as Sunday School Counselor, MIA Counselor, Teacher of the MM Gleaner, dance director for 20 years, Priesthood Advisor to Girls Camp for 17 years, and High Priest Secretary.  He was a longtime member of the Bingham County Farm Bureau serving on the local and county boards.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Verna and his six children: Sharon (Tom) Jensen of Firth, Craig (Paula) Johnson of Rigby, Angela (Kelley) Boyd of Firth, Mary (Michael) Wilson of Las Vegas, NV, George(Jacqueline) Johnson of Spokane, WA, Brian (Holly) Johnson of Firth, one brother, Dean (Jackie) Johnson of Inkom, ID, one step-sister, Leita (George) Henke of Vancouver, WA, two sister-in-laws, Jenny Johnson of Shelley, and Ann Yorgensen of Boise.  Bill has 26 grandchildren, 50 great grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, step-father Peter Yorgensen, sisters: Alice Johnson, Irene Dye, Thelma Howell, Gladys Yorgensen, and Arlene Armstrong, step-sister Edith Robinson, brothers: Clarence, Glenn, Harold, Dell and step-brothers Lavon and Deloy Yorgensen.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Kenneth Krell and the EIRMC nurses for their loving care and attention. They made his time in the hospital enjoyable (as enjoyable as it could be).

Funeral Services will be 11:00 A.M. Wednesday September 2, 2008 at the Presto Ward Chapel (792 North 1090 East). The family will receive friends Tuesday evening from 7:00 till 8:30 P.M. at Nalder Funeral Home (110 West Oak) in Shelley and 9:30 till 10:45 A.M. before the services at the church.  Interment will be in the Goshen Cemetery with military rites preformed by the David B. Bleak Post #93 of Shelley.