Jan. 31, 1930 -- July 7, 2013
Born on Jan. 31, 1930, in Denver, Colorado, he was the son of Erwin A. and Celia (Ricley) Johnson. He married Agnes Jacquetta Barratt on March 25, 1949, in McCook. To this union their son, William R. Johnson and daughter, Debra Kay Johnson, were born.
After Bill and Jackie graduated from McCook High School in 1948, Bill served in the Air Force National Guard, stationed in Denver and Oklahoma City during the Korean Conflict. Later he worked for the Soil Conservation Service, the Bureau of Reclamation and in 1952, he built his first house with the first VA loan in Red Willow County.
Over the next few years, he started Johnson Construction Company and built approximately 300 homes, churches and commercial buildings in Southwest Nebraska. With his partner, Ronald E. Vontz, he owned Southwest Mobile Homes and owned farmland where his son farmed for many years. In 1981, he sold the first home satellite dishes in the area at Southwest Mobile Homes.
After Jackie's death in 1989, Bill moved to Destin, Florida, where he married Melanie (Snyder) Johnson on Jan. 7, 1992. They had many good years together and after Bill was diagnosed, Melanie was his constant companion and nursed him through his disease with her constant love and support.
Bill is survived by his wife, Melanie, Destin, Florida; son, Rick Johnson and wife, Karmon Johnson, McCook; daughter, Deb Johnson, McCook; granddaughter, Dayle Morningstar, Albuquerque, New Mexico; grandsons, Clint Johnson and Aaron Felker, McCook; brother, Cecil Johnson, Kansas City, Kansas; sisters, Esther Marr, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Elsie Baldwin-Budig, Skiatook, Oklahoma; sister-in-law, Karen Dack, McCook; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Jerry and Eileen Barratt, Omaha, Nebraska, JB and Dan Cobbs, and Kathi and Alan Richards, Niceville, Florida, Cheryl and Jack Jenson, Seffner, Florida, Karen and Collin Bachert, Douglasville, Pennsylvania, Wyette and Bob Branom, Aurora, Illinois; sisters-in-law, Deborah Strong, Niceville, Florida, Alana Snyder, Wellington, Florida, Bondelyn Stiefbold, Oswego, Illinois, Lollene Jones, Morris, Illinois, Sheilah Waters, Jasper, Florida; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Jackie, and sister Ruth Scott of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
According to Bill's wishes, there will be no memorial service. Inurnment will be Friday, July 19.
Memorials may be sent to the American Kidney Fund at kidneyfund.org.