Harvey F. Johnson

A Funeral Service for Harvey F. Johnson of Salol, MN will be held on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 1:30 PM at Roseau Free Lutheran Church in Roseau, MN. Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2019 from 5-7 PM at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau, MN with a prayer service at 6:30 PM. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be held at Norland Cemetery in Salol, MN. 

Harvey passed away in his home on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the age of 87.

Harvey Floyd Johnson was born to Oscar H. and Julia (Fugleberg) Johnson on October 25, 1931 in his Grandma Helga Johnson’s home in Roseau, Minnesota. He grew up on the Johnson Homestead in Ross Township and was baptized and confirmed in the Mellum Lutheran Church near Ross.  Harvey attended the Ross schools and after finishing 8TH grade, he stayed home to help his father farm.

He was inducted into the Army on August 3, 1953 and after completing basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas, he was assigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a utilities repairman.  He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and a sharp shooters award. He was honorably discharged on May 12, 1955 and returned home to continue farming with his father.

Harvey met Fern Annie Halvorson in Warroad in the summer of 1956 and they were married at Chicago, Illinois on September 30, 1957.  While in Chicago, he worked in the construction field and studied diesel mechanics at the Allied Institute.  He returned to Roseau in June of 1958 and ran the Fox Service Station from 1959–60.  Harvey began his trucking career in 1961 and lived in various cities in Illinois and Minnesota until eventually finding a home in Willow River, Minnesota.  With a desire to return to farming, Harvey purchased a farm in Lake Township and returned to Roseau County in 1971.

While farming his own land and helping his father and brother, Darvin, farm the Johnson Homestead, Harvey began raising beef cattle in the mid-1970’s.  He stayed close to the trucking life by operating his own trucking company, Harvey F. Johnson & Sons, during the 1970’s and early 1980’s.  He even gave up some occupational independence by working for Marvin Windows for 3 ½ years. 

After selling the farming and cattle operation to his son, John, in 2006, Harvey stayed busy hauling freight for the Byfuglien Trucking company until the age of 80 years while also hauling black dirt from his farm until the age of 85 years. 

Harvey was a charter member for both the Roseau and Warroad Eagles Clubs.  He served as a Fire Warden for Lake Township from 1983 to 2014.  Harvey was a member of the Norland Lutheran Church.

Harvey loved hunting and fishing and is known for shooting two deer in one shot. He was a fan of Ernest Tubb’s and Johnny Cash’s music and never got tired of watching John Wayne movies.  Harvey ferociously denied watching soap operas, but accidently would comment on a story line from time to time.  Like his mother, he paid close attention to the weather.  Anyone who greeted him with a handshake would know that he wasn’t afraid of hard work. Although somewhat of a quiet man, Harvey communicated mostly through his actions by helping others, leading by example and showing up for the milestone events in people’s lives.  He is already deeply missed.

Harvey is survived by his wife, Fern, of Salol; sons Terry (Debbie) of Salol, H. Scott (Mary) of Warroad, Lyle (Yvette) of Milnor, N. D., Loren (Jean Ellen) of St. Louis Park, MN and John A. (Cindi) of Salol; seven grandchildren:  Erik (Holly), Robert (Dawn), H. Joey (ReNae), Tyler (Krysta), Johnny (Amanda), Evan and Kelsey; thirteen great-grandchildren:  Dylon Hoy, Ava, Lyvie, Sadie, Treston, Jaisley, Kayson, Abigail, Naomi, Hailey, Harper, Charlie and Chase; seven step-grandchildren and their families: Brook (Rakesh) Suri, Billie (Brevik) Tharaldson, Sam (Melody) Hovda, Trent Ecker, David (Sarah) Berry, Jeff (Jana) Berry and Roxanne (Justin) Olson; brother, Darvin Johnson, of Roseau; 4 sisters:  Ruby Madson of Bemidji, MN, Verna Grafstrom of Salol, Ordell O’Neill of  Edina, MN and Julie Ann (Roger) Holland of Nevis, MN; one sister-in-law, Maureen Johnson, of South Hazelton, British Columbia; one uncle, Earl (Carolyn) Fugleberg, of Melbourne, Florida; not to mention the huge Halvorson “out-law” family who thought the world of him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Dennis, many brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws, one niece and three nephews.

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