Ralph Johnston

Ralph G. Johnston, age 100 of Clark, died peacefully at the Golden Living Center at Clark on Tuesday, July 14, 2015. Visitation will be held Monday, July 20, 2015 from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at 1:00 PM at St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with the Reverend Kathy Hibbert officiating. Burial will immediately follow the service at the Prairie Hill Cemetery at Bradley. A dinner and time of fellowship will be held prior to services at 11:00 AM in the church basement. Ralph Grover Johnston was born on the Johnston family homestead west of Bradley, SD, on July 15, 1914 to Ernest and Irma (Grover) Johnston. He graduated from Bradley High School in 1932 where he played basketball, baseball and drums in the school band. In the "dirty thirties" he played baseball in the "Little Eight League" with Bradley and Wallace. After high school, Ralph worked on the family farm for nearly six years. Then, because work was very difficult to find during the Great Depression, he traveled around the United States taking various types of jobs to earn money, returning to Bradley when his money ran out. At that time his grandfather, Merton Grover, was ill, so for two years Ralph farmed the family homestead. When his grandfather died, his grandmother gave him a team of horses for the work he had done. He sold them and used the money to attend Mitchell Business College, completing his course work in 1940. He was united in marriage to Shirley Bowers Green, whom he met at college, on June 5, 1941. The couple moved to Fort Peck, MT, where Ralph worked in the weather station until he joined the U.S. Army. Following basic training, he joined the Paratroopers and became a member of the 508th Parachute Regiment. After serving his country, Ralph returned to Bradley where he and Shirley farmed the land his grandfather homesteaded in 1884 and raised their four sons. In 1947, Ralph and two partners built Modern Lockers in Bradley. He later purchased his partners' shares and operated the business for 23 years. After selling the locker, he worked for the government as a Meat Inspector for North and South Dakota. During that time, Ralph and Shirley made their home in West Fargo, ND. Upon his retirement in 1981, Ralph and Shirley built a home in Clark, SD. They spent some of the happiest years of their lives in Clark because, as Ralph said, "the people were very hospitable". Ralph took part in the South Dakota senior games for several years, winning many of the events in his age group. In 2000, he was honored at the South Dakota Senior Games by being named the Over 80 Outstanding Athlete. In 2006 he was inducted into the Seniors of South Dakota Hall of Fame. In 2013 Ralph received the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame Pioneer of the Game award. Ralph always believed in helping people. He delivered Meals on Wheels for 15 years, served on the Bradley Volunteer Fire Department, Bradley School Board, and on the Bradley and Clark Church Councils for many years. He was a member of the American Legion for 65 years. He is survived by his four sons, Dennis (Maxine) of Pierre, SD, Dean (Karen) of Denmark Township, MN, Darrel (RoseAnn) of Sioux Falls, SD and David (Ellen) of Hanska, MN; 12 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Shirley and brother, Harvey. Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an online registry at: www.furnessfuneralhome.com