Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
Rudolph William Johnson went to be with the Lord, December 10, 2015.
Bill was born in Detroit Michigan March 16, 1917 to Matt and Ida Laulainen. His youth was spent in northern Minnesota fishing and hunting and working on the family farm.
Doing the Lord’s work was first and foremost on Bill’s mind and he attended Family Worship Center in Ocean Park, WA and Calvary Baptist in The Dalles. Bill came “out west” in the 1930’s and worked at Long Bell Lumber in Longview, WA as a lumber grader. He worked for Henry Keiser as a supervisor in the Vancouver ship yards making ships for the military during WWII. It was there he met his wife of 66 years, Mary, who passed away November 2011. They were married December 24, 1945 in Stevenson Washington. After the war Bill worked for Boyds Coffee in Portland as Vice President. He retired from Boyds 1977. He always said, “there are only 2 brands of coffee ... Boyds and all the rest.”
In 1958 Bill and family moved to a house boat on the Columbia River where he lived until his retirement in 1977. They then moved to Ocean Park, WA. He was an avid outdoors man, with fishing and hunting, taking up his time in his latter years. Prior to that he enjoyed all sorts of water sports, golfing, bowling and boating, as well as hunting and fishing. His fishing love was salmon and sturgeon mostly at the mouth of the Columbia River. He was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He was involved with the construction with most of the churches on the Long Beach Peninsula.
He is succeeded by his wife, Joan, two children, Jerry Johnson (Penny) Kirkland, WA, Patty Johnson, The Dalles, OR, granddaughters, Molly and Heidi and great granddaughters, Rose, Breanna and Brandlyn, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his four brothers and sisters and his son-in-law, Perry.
Interment took place Monday, December 14, 2015 at Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem, OR. A memorial service in Ocean Park, WA and The Dalles, OR will take place early next year. He is loved and will be missed by all. Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service is assisting the family.
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