FARNAM - Terry Lee Johnson, 54, of Farnam passed away April 9, 2007, at the Nebraska Heart Institute in Lincoln.

He was born Dec. 2, 1952, at Fort Dodge, Iowa, to LuVerne and Betty Young Johnson. At the age of 2 the family moved to California. Terry received his schooling in Orange County and moved back to Nebraska to marry Lowenn Cook at Litchfield. He later went back to King City, Calif., where a son, Terry II was born. He worked in and around the oil fields and was a certified welder on the pipelines. They moved back to Overton, where another son, Kurtis, was born in Sargent. He worked for New Holland in Lexington until they closed and he and Lowenn purchased Johnson Bait and Tackle south of Lexington. They divorced in 1984, and he was united in marriage to Marlene Kramer Green Aug. 10, 1985. At this time he operated the bait shop and worked for Monroe Auto in Cozad. He later worked for Valley Sales as a welder until his health would no longer let him, a skill he loved. He sold the bait shop and managed the Bridgestreet Liquor store for seven years until it was closed and he became employed for Goshen Rubber in Gothenburg after moving to Farnam. He worked here, now known as Parker Tech Seal, until the time of his death.

Terry loved hunting and fishing and in his spare time, he reloaded for other people as well as himself and made shot for trap shooting out of old wheel weights. His son-in-law commented "he would be chosen as his lifeline if he was ever on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire,'" because of his knowledge on so many things.

Survivors include his wife, Marlene (nickname "Charley") of Farnam; six children, Michael (Penny) Green of Paxton, Georgia (Jeff) Karel of Cozad, Terry II Johnson of Brighton, Tenn., Timothy Johnson of Dracut, Mass., Donna Johnson (Brown) of Nashua, N.H., and Kurtis Johnson of Memphis; 10 grandchildren, Darsi Jones, Lacey Green, Taryn Johnson, Quinton Karel, Xavier Brown, Alayna Brown, Nathan Karel, Braden Johnson, Terry III and Stacie Green; a brother, Junior (Deb) Johnson of Gothenburg; many brothers and sisters-in-law, Viola Kramer of Axtell, Willie (Virginia) Kramer of Kearney, Linda (Ron) Crisman of Gothenburg, Florence Sims of Mesquite, Texas, Gloria (Steve) Shingleton of Albuquerque, N.M., Lynette (Steve) Krab of Paxton, Leonard Laverne (Kathy) Kramer of Stapleton, William Kramer of Dallas, Tina (Rick) Terry of Magna, Utah; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Leonard and Joy Kramer of Stapleton.

A memorial has been established in his name and online condolences can be made at www.adamsswanson.com.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 12, 2007, at the United Methodist Church in Farnam with the Rev. Tess Hufford officiating. Burial in the Farnam Cemetery will follow the service.

Visitation will be from noon to 9 p.m. today at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home in North Platte.

North Platte Telegraph, 11 Apr 2007