Vern Elliott Johnson

VERN ELLIOTT JOHNSON, age 87, of Blue Earth, died Tuesday, November 29, 2016, at his home.Memorial services will be held on Saturday, December 3, 2016, at 5:00 PM, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 405 Johnson Street in Fairmont, MN. Visitation time will be from 1:00pm-3:30pm Saturday, December 3, 2016, at the Johnson home 9139 355th Ave. in Blue Earth, MN. Web tributes may be left at www.pattonfh.comHe was born November 11, 1929, at Provo, UT, the son of Benjamin Earl and Dottie Lena (Elliott) Johnson.Survivors include his wife, Janice of Blue Earth, children, Christer (Leilani) Johnson, Inger (Steve) Bishop, Agneta (Joe) Lesko, Debbie (Patrick) Kelly, Roger (Joy) Johnson, Kenneth (Dawn) Johnson, Kirk (Joan) Johnson, Kris (Nomi) Johnson, Dr. Aaron (Jenna) Johnson, Jared (Krista) Johnson, Vernie (William) DeMille. He was preceded in death by 1st wife Birgit and daughter Cynthia Johnson.Vern pursued many interests in his lifetime. He was a farmer, an orchardist, a mechanic, a superior pie baker, and a spiritual leader. However, the "profession" he loved the most was that of father and grandfather.In a real-life "yours, mine, and ours" story, Vern took 4 families and made all of them his. There were never any "step" children under his roof. His heart made room for every single one of his family members, and all were happy to call him "Dad". He was the loving husband to 2 beautiful women. He was an amazing father to 12 grateful children and a thoughtful grandfather to 58 grandchildren, 76 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild. He loved every one of his posterity. He made time to listen to their stories, he celebrated their successes, and he was always available to help them when they wanted advice.From the time he was a child, to his very last days, he was a student of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He believed in the power of God to heal the broken hearted, to comfort the weary, and to give strength to those who serve. He taught his family to believe and with that belief to serve their fellow men. Service in his church and in his community was a way of life for him. Throughout his life, he lived the counsel of his Savior to "love one another." He made time to feed the hungry and heal the sick.Vern was always grateful to be an American. He taught his children to take on the responsibilities of being good citizens, to be men and women of integrity, and to always be grateful for the sacrifices of those who fight for our freedoms. He took his children to see as much of the USA as he could. Traveling from ocean to ocean, across mountains, and through deserts so that they would catch the vision of their magnificent homeland and do their part to honor their heritage.He grew up during the Great Depression and he never took for granted the opportunity to work. He lived the old saying to "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." He was frugal with himself and incredibly generous with others. He gave his children the most precious gift a father can give to his children: a loving home and family. He will be greatly missed, and always, always remembered as a man of strength, wisdom, love, and faith.