Funeral services for Robert M. “Bob” Johnson, 83, will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Shakopee. The Rev. Randy Romsdahl will officiate. Visitation will be two hours prior to the service at the church. Interment will be the following day with family at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, with military honors accorded by area veteran’s organizations.
Bob passed away on March 10, 2010, at his home.
Robert Marinus Johnson was born on July 8, 1926, in rural Ellendale, the son of James and Anna Johnson. He entered the U.S. Army in 1945 and became a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne, serving in Japan. On Jan. 11, 1947, he married Lenore Kathryn Evenson of New Richland. Their 63 years of marriage were enriched with two children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Bob was a sales supervisor in the wholesale grocery business for over 40 years, providing full service to hundreds of independent grocery stores in southern and central Minnesota. Bob and Lenore lived in Albert Lea until 1974, when they moved to Shakopee following a change in employers.
Since retirement in 1988, Bob was an avid golfer (three holes in one), became known as “Bob the Bikeman” as he operated his own bike shop to service local children and foreign student workers at Valleyfair, and especially loved following his grandchildren’s athletic and musical activities. Bob was an active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, and an American Legion member for over 50 years.
Survivors include his wife, Lenore of Shakopee; children: James (Holly) Johnson of Puyallup, Wash., Lori (Jeff) Hoffmann of Savage; grandchildren: Chad (Michelle) Johnson of Clovis, Calif., Jason (Christie) Johnson of Puyallup, Wash., Heather (Christopher) Linderman of Richland, Wash., Courtney (Jason) Johnson of Prior Lake and Katelyn Hoffmann of Savage; great-grandchildren: Rees, Cole and Selah Johnson of Clovis, Hadley Linderman of Richland and Anika and Kane Johnson of Prior Lake; sisters: Marian Utpadel, Donna Horecka and Luella Anderson; brother, Alton Johnson; sisters-in-law: Martha Johnson, Helen Mork, Lois Wasmoen and Marjorie Evenson.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents; brothers: Ken (Ruby) Johnson, John Johnson; sister, Jeanette (Ray) Peterson; sisters-in-law: Lorraine Johnson and Margaret (George) Ellis; brothers-in-law: Glen Anderson, Robert Horecka, George Utpadel, Anton Olson, Stuart (Dorothy) Evenson, Oswald Evenson, Richard Wasmoen and Alvin Mork. Memorials preferred to St. John’s Lutheran Church and Allina Hospice.