Earl Arve Johnson

Earl Arve Johnson passed from this earthly life on June 27, 2020, at the age of 94, due to natural causes. He was born May 12, 1926, to Arve M. and Mary Valeria Weeks Johnson in Hatch, Idaho. Earl was an adventurous kid raised on a farm in Hatch and learned early on the value of hard work. His youth and high school years brought him much joy, including riding his beloved horse, Old Mary, to grade school. Earl played for the Bancroft High School football team, graduating in 1944. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps, proudly serving in the Pacific Theatre as WWII came to a close, and with the “China Marines” in Manchuria until 1947, when he was honorably discharged as a corporal. While oversees, Earl’s parents moved from Idaho to Hyrum, Utah. He returned to Utah, attending Utah State University to major in welding engineering. While at a friend's house in Hyrum, he met the love of his life, his precious “Polly”, Pauline Maughan Johnson. They married in the Logan LDS Temple in 1948 and recently celebrated 72 years of marriage. Earl and Polly moved to Idaho Falls where he worked for Westinghouse, building the first atomic submarine. He and Polly were blessed with six children: Julia Woody, Janet, David (Patricia), Brett, Jeffrey, Jennifer Johnson-Bell (Steve). He deeply appreciated the beauty of the great outdoors and moved his family to Great Falls, Montana in 1957 where he started Modern Soft Water. His work included working closely with the Air Force to provide distilled water to the Minuteman Missile sites throughout central Montana. In 1978, Earl's entrepreneurial spirit took his family from the plains to the Flathead Valley, where he took over Northwestern Truss in Kalispell. He became a master truss builder and crane operator, delivering trusses throughout all of Northwestern Montana. He served as a Bishop on several occasions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was the Branch President who oversaw the construction of the Lakeside LDS Chapel. He was a dedicated Scout Master. He had fond memories of guiding the Boys on 50-mile survival hikes across the Continental Divide. His biggest passions in life included flying his 3 airplanes, backpacking with his horses, hunting, fishing, and golf. He was an exceptional fisherman and hunter, with a part-time business guiding elk-hunters through the Bob Marshall Wilderness. He also loved reciting poetry and playing music, teaching himself to play the harmonica, mandolin, and guitar. He loved to tell stories about his adventures, especially to his eight grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, sister Dorothy, son Brett, and granddaughter Stacy Shane. Semper Fi China Marine!
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, no viewing or funeral is planned. A family memorial will be held at the Wellsville, Utah Cemetery Tuesday, July 7, 2020, at 11:00 AM.