AUSTIN — Funeral services for Richard A. "Dick" Johnson Sr. will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin, with Pastor Ron Barnett officiating. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin.
Mr. Johnson, 76, of Austin, died Sunday (April 12, 2009) at Rochester Methodist Hospital.
Richard Allen Johnson was born June 27, 1932, to Iver and Eva (Pratt) Johnson, in Ebro, Minn. The family moved to Austin, where he graduated from high school in 1950. On Dec. 23, 1950, he married Joanne Mathieu at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa; they were later divorced. A mechanic at Geo. A. Hormel & Co., Mr. Johnson attended plumbing school at night. On Sept. 23, 1976, he married Helen (Miller) Hunter in Las Vegas.
He retired from Hormel after 46 years and 10 months. He was a member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church, where he served on the Building Committee, was Church Council president, and helped with the radio broadcast and fair booth.
He was also an usher and Stephen’s Minister. He coached the St. Olaf fast-pitch softball team, youth baseball, and hockey, and enjoyed skiing, boating, summer trips to Ten Mile Lake, and coffee at Kenny’s Oak Grill.
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Survivors include his wife, Helen; children, Renee (Rev. Joel) Dahlen and Kay (Dan) Bjerke, both of Mason City, Iowa, Richard "Dick" (Betty) Johnson Jr. of Austin, Janelle Baker of Eden Prairie, Minn., Todd (Lori) Johnson of Bloomington, Minn., Mark (Kate) Hunter of Brownsdale, Joe Hunter of Austin and Eric (Michelle) Johnson of St. Cloud, Minn.; 19 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Lois (Dan) McNally of Waukesha, Wis. He was preceded in death by three sisters, Beverly "Babe" Peterson and two in infancy; and a grandson, Kevin Dahlen.
Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Worlein Funeral Home in Austin, and an hour before the service Thursday at the church.
The family prefers memorials to the St. Olaf Lutheran Church Building Fund or a charity of the donor’s choice.
