Willard Johnson
Willard Richard Johnson, 90, of Park Rapids died Monday, March 27, 2006 at the Dobson House Hospice in Chandler, AZ.
He was born to Alfred and Selma (Peterson) Johnson March 21, 1916 in Grove City. He graduated from Blackbird High School in 1934. He farmed. In February 1941 he enlisted in the US Army, where he served as a military policeman in the European Theatre of War. He served in England and France and earned the rank of sergeant. After his honorable discharge in October 1945 he moved to Omaha, NE where he joined his family in a construction business.
He married Gwen Safford in March 1951 in Omaha. They had four children. In 1957, they purchased Inverlee Lodge on Potato Lake. They operated the resort and he continued his construction business building numerous homes in the Park Rapids area. He was a founding partner of the Park Rapids Building Center in the early 1960s. He, along with a brother, brother-in-law and nephew, built the Breezy Point Resort near Pequot Lakes, which they sold a short time later.
He married Mona Glatzmaier March 29, 1969 at Riv-erside United Methodist Church in Park Rapids. He retired in the early 70s but continued to rent out his resort cabins on a seasonal basis until he sold the resort in the mid-90s.
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He was a member of the Riverside United Methodist Church and the Otto Hendrickson American Legion Post 212, both of Park Rapids, and the Guy L. McDer-meit VFW Post 6206 of Menahga.
He is survived by four children, Larry (Nancy) of Cass Lake, Joseph of Kinman, AZ, Bonnie (Larry) Sizer of Maple Grove and Dena Gold of Chandler; sister, Gladys Acker of Raleigh, NC; 13 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife Mona in 2003; sister, Edith; and three brothers, Ed, Harry and Glenn.
Funeral: Saturday, April 1 at Jones-Pearson Funeral Home in Park Rapids with Rev. Derek Claypool officiating.
Casketbearers: Daryl Pollock, Eugene Anderson, Glenn Harvala, Art Melbo, Clarence Snelling, Leonard Eischens and Leonard LaBonte.
Interment: Hubbard Cemetery.
Military honors were conducted by the Otto Hendrickson American Legion Post 212 and the Guy L. McDermeit VFW Post 6206.
