John J Johannsen

John J. Johannsen, age 73, rural Raymond, died peacefully in his home with family at his side late on Saturday night, April 19, 2014 after a 19 month courageous battle with cancer. Visitation will be held on Friday from 4-6:30 PM with a brief service/music time/sharing and flag presentation to be held at 6:30PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark. Burial will be private at the Johannsen farm. He was born John Julius Johannsen at Lake City, SD, the son of Roy Robert and Julia Marie (Olson) Johannsen on March 8, 1941. He was schooled in country schools in Day County and graduated from Roslyn High School in 1959. On September 4, 1959 he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps and served his country honorably until September 3 of 1963. After his stint in the Marine Corps, he worked in the Aberdeen area laying brick as a Union brick layer. He worked a job in Clark at the Citizens Bank during its construction and while in Clark he met Collene Uecker. The couple was married on July 26, 1969. To this union, two children, Heather and Darin, were born. The couple moved to the farm north of Raymond, Valley Edge Ranch, in the Spring of 1975 and a short time later he partnered in the operation with the Ueckers and Hermoes. Collene and John divorced in 1983. John continued living and working on the farm. He was always busy fixing fence, checking neighbor's cattle and doing woodworking, especially with oak. Some of his fondest moments were spent with the family reunions at the ranch, visiting family - making trips family members including a trip just two weeks ago to see Irene in Washington. Second to none though was his love of watching his grandson, Sloan, wrestle. Preceding him in death were his parents, the children's Mother, Collene in May of 2001, his parents-in-law, Bill and Mavis Uecker and siblings, Arlen, June, Veatch and an infant brother, Robert John and a brother-in-law, Jim Scott. Grateful for having shared in his life are his children, Heather Johannsen of Clark, Darin (Amanda) Johannsen and their son, Sloan of Watertown; siblings, Bob (Pat) Johannsen of Westport, Tom (Linda) Johannsen of Warner, Marie Scott of Red Lake Falls, MN, Irene (Jim) Belles of Sedro Wooley, WA and Alice (Verne) Dosch of Chetek, WI and a sister-in-law, Beverly (Harold) Jackson of Texas. Also surviving him are his in-laws, John & Jolene Hermoe of Raymond and several nieces and nephews. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com