Roger Johnson

Services for Roger (aka Butch or Red) Johnson, 77, of Groton will be at 10am on Friday, June 3, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Groton. Visitation will be held at the church on Thursday from 5pm-7pm followed by a prayer service at 7pm. Roger will join his wife, Diane, in burial at Sunset Memorial Gardens of Aberdeen.

Roger transitioned from this life peacefully on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at his home surrounded with love and admiration from his family.

Roger Frank Johnson was born on October 5, 1944, in Britton to Lambert and Florence (Carlson) Johnson. At six months old, his family moved to the current family farm north of Groton where Roger and Diane resided until 2020. Roger attended a country school near Claremont until high school when he made the switch to Groton High. Roger helped on the family farm until his father passed. At that time, he stepped up to help his mother and run the farm. Roger’s sister, Barb Morris, brought her good friend, Betty Diane Wolery, home for Easter one year. Roger was tasked with picking the gals up from the train station. It was not quite love at first sight but something stuck as they were united in marriage February 26, 1967, in Joplin, Montana. Together they began their life on the Johnson farm and were blessed with three children- Shane, Darcy, and Matt.  Throughout the years, they raised a variety of crops and many different animals. Roger was a steward of the land in every sense of the word. As if farming wasn’t a full-time enough gig, Roger chose to take on several different outside jobs through the years to best provide for his family.  In addition to farming, Roger started and ran a custom crop spraying business, worked the night shift for several years at Horton’s in Britton, served as the Brown County Weed and Pest Supervisor, and also owned and operated a gravel business. Roger retired from farming in 2014 and continued his gravel business until 2019. He and Diane moved to Groton in 2020 where he lived at the time of his passing.

Anyone who knew Roger would describe him as gentle, but the man also always lived life full throttle. He loved tinkering with toys and enjoyed snowmobiling, cars, side-by-sides, boats, and motorcycles. Roger even surprised the family when he showed up to one of the grandson’s high school proms with “Hemi” tattooed on his right arm. Roger loved connecting with others and could seldom be found without a cup of coffee and a hand of cards. Roger and Diane took great joy in traveling, whether it was to the Panama Canal (complete with 938,492 pictures to show upon their return home) or to grandchildren’s activities. Nothing made Roger prouder than to tell others about his family’s accolades.

Roger was deeply loved and will be sorely missed. Celebrating his life are his three children; Shane Johnson (Angie Sombke) of Claremont, Darcy Albrecht (Patrick Cavanaugh) of Aberdeen, Matt (Tanya) Johnson of Groton, his grandchildren: Samantha (Corey) Bachmeier of Aberdeen, Shanine Anya (Jamie Morris) of Claremont, Marqelle Albrecht (Michael Reid)of Mapleton, ND, Jade (Mikia) Albrecht of West Fargo, ND, Maycee (Tyler) Hatzenbeller of Aberdeen, Jeric Albrecht of Aberdeen, Peyton, Trey, Aeydon and Deylon Johnson of Groton.  Roger is also survived by great-grandchildren, Oliver Anya, Jace, Hudson & Taya Morris, Julian & Nova Bachmeier, Vaela & Roy Albrecht, Regis Hatzenbeller, Hank Reid and his sisters, Diana Ehrenberg of Rapid City and Barbara Morris of Groton.

Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife, Diane; his brothers-in-law, Bill Ehrenberg and Dick Morris, nephew, Rick Morris and niece, Kit Ehrenberg.

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