Murray Johnson Sr. Obituary (1940

Murray Lionel Johnson, Sr. July 25, 1940 – February 8, 2026 Murray Lionel Johnson passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at the Dryden Regional Health Centre with his wife by his side. The following was written by him: I was born at home on July 25,1940. My mother was Grace Johnson (Locking) and my father was Murray Johnson. I had very loving parents. I was born with uncontrolable tremors in my hands. This kept me from doing many things. In 1957 I was a Jr. Ranger. I was to go to Sioux Lookout where we stayed overnight, then we were flown to Gold Pines. That was where the Lands and Forest base was. They were just closing it and moving it to Ear Falls. They had set up tents with plywood bottoms and canvas tops that were to be our living quarters. They moved an old work shop from Gold Pines to be a kitchen where we had a cook. Dick Tressleman was our supervisor. In summer 1958, I went back as a Ranger. In the fall 1958, I got on with the Department of Public Works. My job was to drive the Tradesmen from one job to another. They were building the police station and Department of Highways garage in Ear Falls and the Department of Highways garage in Red Lake and remodeling the police station in Red Lake. They were also working on the Jail in Kenora. I worked this job until the spring of 1959 when I went back to the Land and Forest in Ear Falls. Then I was stationed at Forestry Point in Red Lake. I also worked at the Department of Highways and Griffith Mine. In 1961 the Department of Highways started rebuilding the highway from Madsen to Red Lake and Harry’s Corner to Cochenour. Then they started heading south on Highway 105. At that time they had their own construction and paving equipment. They had made it to Ear Falls. Then other contractors started raising heck, so they shut the job down. I was lucky to have worked with those experienced men, like Charlie Keach. The only thing I couldn’t do was keep up with the partying. Some other jobs I did was working at International Nickle in Thompson, Manitoba and cutting right of way from Fort Frances to Atikokan. Around 1978 I started selling Arctic Cat snow machines in Ear Falls in my back yard. Then I opened a shop in Red Lake and sold Arctic Cat snow machines and Kawasaki and Honda Motorcycles. I moved back to Ear Falls and was an agent for Motorways for 12 years. I sold that business and went into building cabins on remote lakes. In my 50+ years in Ear Falls, I dealt with 99% good people. I never wanted to be a”Big Shot” in the community. With my tremors, I had to avoid some things I would have liked to participate in, but didn’t. It was fun to sit back and watch the ones that tried to be “Big Shots”. I was always one that believed in doing what you want. Life is too short. As Stan Leschuk once said to me, ‘Johnson, even though you have failed at times, you just got up and went at it that much harder’. In 1985 I went on a trip to Arizona to visit a brother. I traveled around a bit going to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and to California to see the ‘Spruce Goose’ airplane and the Queen Mary. Then I had decided to travel north to British Columbia and then home, but instead decided to go back to Florence, Arizona to visit with my brother some more. That is where I met my wife Donna. That is when my life changed. After a short engagement, we got married. That is 40+ years ago. In 2002, I was diagnosed with a bacteria in my lungs. This has no cure. In 2016, I was diagnosed with a blood precancer called smoldering myeloma. With these two illnesses my health has gradually deteriorated until the fall of 2025 when I became weak and couldn’t do the things I loved to do. I want to thank George and Bev Kupper for his help and their friendship. Also I want to thank Keith, Richard and Vic Robinson for work they passed onto me. Also to Margarete Kalin (Boojum Research) for the employment. Also, Joan & Ron Moses for their friendship. I was predeceased by my mother Grace Johnson (Locking) (1894-1981), my father Murray Johnson (1888-1956), stepbrothers, Angus Johnson (1920), Donald Johnson (1922-1928) and Floyd Johnson (1923-1998) his wife Peggy (1934-2015) all of Hamilton and North Dakota, my step sister Irene Findley, step-brothers Maurice, LaVern, Ronald and Wallace Findley, nephew Brian Findley and my brother Donald Johnson (1932-2022). I am survived by my wife Donna, my sister-in-law Virginia Johnson, nephew Andrew Johnson and grandson Murray Johnson. A special thank you to Dr. Doiron and Dr. Bester and the MAID program. As per Murray’s wishes, cremation has taken place. There will be no service. Interment will take place at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the The Dryden Regional Health Centre - Hospice, P.O. Box 3003, Dryden, ON P8N 2Z6 or through Aurora Funeral Services.