James Leslie Johnson, 88 of St. Cloud MN went home to Jesus on March 2, 2025, with his family by his side singing hymns and giving thanks for his kind, loving spirit and great Norwegian humor. He so loved his wife, his children and spouses, and grandchildren as "family time" was his greatest joy. He was "all in" when any of us needed him for anything at any time.

Jim was born on August 19, 1936, in Blue Earth MN to Leslie and Della (Evans) Johnson, six years after his sister Mary Jane. He accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior as a first grader in the church bell tower in East Chain, MN.  There he lived with his mother and stepfather Paul Nowicki following the passing of his father Leslie. His family moved back to Blue Earth where Jim attended grade school with Marlys, his future bride. The family moved to Brainerd where Jim graduated from high school while living on Gull Lake.  He excelled in sports and music, especially basketball as a member of the 1954 Brainerd High School state championship team. He attended Brainerd Community College and completed his bachelor's degree in psychology at UND, Grand Forks.  Ultimately, he acquired his master's degree in Career Counseling at UND as well.

On August 19, 1961, Jim's 25th birthday, he married Marlys Porter at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Blue Earth. They were active as a couple in the churches they attended over several decades, singing many familiar duets together.  They passed the gift of music onto their children and grandchildren.  In the early years, the young Johnson 5 would sing and play their various instruments at nursing homes and church gatherings.  Jim also passed along his musical gifts to his grandchildren Gracia and Bryce who both took up instruments and enjoy singing.

Jim and Marlys lived in East Grand Forks, Benson, Crystal, St Cloud and Lakeville.  Jim loved helping people of all ages with their life and career plans and was one of the founding members of North Hennepin Community College in 1966. He loved to find connections with people and delighted in both listening and encouraging others.  He provided great wisdom and counsel to many as a Career Counselor, including his own children (thanks Dad!)  He was also very handy and took great pride in fixing things around the house and the cabin in both fun and frugal ways, demonstrating wisdom and stewardship of God given resources. Jim also started his own side business, "Johnson Novelty Company", tapping into his creative juices. He employed the family to make ceramic Norwegian crafts and statues that he and Marlys would sell at art festivals and fairs, while boasting T-shirts with his signature tagline, "it's hard to be humble ven you're Norvegian!"

Jim had many special gifts and interests that included playing the ukelele; spending peaceful time fishing and watching the birds at their Little Pelican Lake cabin in Nisswa; canoeing in the Boundary Waters with his daughters; and making mission trips with his pals to Mexico orphanages. He sang lead and played ukelele in a performing folk trio (The Educators) and sang tenor with the Minneapolis Commodores and the St Cloud Singing Saints barbershop chorus up until age 86. On occasion, he and son Fred would sing serendipitously with other barbershoppers after summer sing outs.   Jim had an amazing musical ear, and a good harmony line brought him many smiles, especially when singing with Marlys, Fred, Rae, Pam, Gracia and Bryce at family celebrations.  He last sang and played his ukelele to his bride of 63 years on her February 1 birthday this year, serenading her over dinner.

Jim had a very competitive spirit and was a big Minnesota sports fan. He could often be found at the end of the cabin dock with his fishing pole and the Twins, Vikings or Gophers game on the radio or TV. He was the #1 cheerleader for his kids and grandkids, showing up at every sports event and musical concert, letting us know how special we each were to him.  Jim and Marlys also enjoyed their time with the local Sons of Norway chapter over many years, as Jim's heritage was important to him. He authored a book on his Johnson family history that led him to the original family farm in Norway. His great sense of humor and Ole and Lena jokes live on forever.

Jim was a devoted husband, brother, father and grandfather who loved Jesus and instilled deep faith in his family. At Christmas this past year, Jim hand wrote a letter to the family that blessed our hearts, sharing his love for Christ along with his confidence in the Resurrection and his forever home with Jesus. (see below).  He had asked that we share it with friends as well.

Jim is survived by his loving wife Marlys; children Fred (Kristin) Johnson of Eagan, MN; Priscilla (Mark) Johnson Hathaway of Washington DC; and Pamela (Bill) Johnson Amburg of Saint Paul:  and his grandchildren, Gracia Johnson of Burnsville MN and Bryce Johnson of Nashville, TN.  Jim was proceeded in death by his parents and his sister Mary Jane Holden Jennings.

A Monday, March 31, 2025, celebration is planned at the Hosanna Church Chapel, 9850 163rd St West in Lakeville, MN. Visitation at 3pm and service at 4pm.  A meal will follow the celebration of life.  Interment at Blue Earth Riverside Cemetery at 11:00 am Tuesday April 1, 2025. Memorials may be made out to The St Cloud Singing Saints and mailed to either
Fred Johnson 4920 Safari Pass Eagan MN 55122 or Tom Machula 5323 32nd Street SE. St Cloud MN 56304

As family and friends, we "Lovet vaere Jesus" (Praise the Lord) for a life well lived!

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."       Philippians 1:21

PLEASE CLICK BELOW at 4pm on MONDAY MARCH 31 to VIEW CELEBRATION of LIFE SERVICE ONLINE

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LETTER FROM JIM hand written December 2024 and subsequently typed below

Merry Christmas Family and Friends !

It is fun to be sharing Christmas with all of you near and far.  My gift to each of you is this letter as I wanted to share what Christmas means to me while I can still write and remember a few things.  You all know how much I love to sing.  I remember as a kid preparing for the Christmas Eve kids service and I heard another musical part in the song we were practicing, which I now know as the harmony line.  One other girl could sing harmony also, so the director let us sing harmony at the service. That was one of my earliest gifts from God, preparing me to sing duets by ear with Marlys.  She could read the music, and I would harmonize with her.  It has also brought us joy singing together as family.  I plan to sing in heaven's Hallelujah chorus but  I won't need any music to sing the harmony line .

Since those early days of singing, I did my best to be the spiritual leader of our family and was inspired to make a banner for our family room that reads "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"  and we put the BIBLE into each of our children's hands.

Thinking about the baby Jesus makes me think about growing up around Blue Earth and attending church with my family.  It also reminds me of a very important day when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.   I lived in East Chain Minnesota near Blue Earth when I was in first grade.   I went to Sunday School at the Evangelical Church, and I remember that day as clear as a bell, so to speak.

The church had a bell tower, and my teacher walked each of us up the long steeple steps.  At the top of the tower next to the bell were 2 chairs.  I sat across from her as she read from the Bible about Jesus and shared that believing in Him was the one and only way to heaven.  In her words, all I had to do was to admit that I was a sinner, that I needed a Savior and that he died for my sins and rose again.

Then she asked me the most important question of my life. Jim, would you like to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?    I quickly said "YES" and I felt a change in myself.

Thanks to many good pastors and Bible teachers, I have come to realize that the Bible is our guide for life.  It is God's Word for us and where we find the full story of Jesus and what truth is, and the truth is that we will all live forever, either forever in heaven or forever in hell according to Jesus and His written word.  That is a serious thing to think about!

This is my 88th Christmas on this earth and I don't know how many more I may have left here, as none of us are promised tomorrow.  But I am looking forward to many, many more Christmas days with Jesus forever.

And I am very serious when I say that I would like to be in heaven with every one of you.  I have at times thought that being a good person and loving people would get someone to heaven. Those are good things, BUT giving your life to Jesus is the only way.   So it is my prayer that each of you, if you haven't already, would accept Jesus as your one and only true Lord and Savior.  Maybe you have already been in a bell tower like I was.   If not, I invite you to read John 14:1-6 as there is no time like the present. I plan to see each of you in heaven with my ukelele and  a song……unless it happens to be on one of my rest days. This Christmas I treasure the gift of Jesus and the gift of family.

With all my love, your husband, your dad, father in law and your grandpa and friend.

God Bless you all!

Jim

PS.  MANGE TUSEN TAKK for all the ways you are caring for both Marlys and me in these later years …..and for putting up with all of my Ole jokes

PLEASE CLICK BELOW at 4pm on MONDAY MARCH 31 to VIEW CELEBRATION of LIFE SERVICE ONLINE

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