Milo G. Johnson

Obituary

Milo Gene Johnson was born on June 18, 1930, at his grandparents’ farmhouse by Lake Lillian, MN. Milo was the son of Kenneth Peterson and Beatrice B. Bomsta. In 1935, Milo was given the last name Johnson in honor of his mother, Beatrice. He grew up on various farms in the Lake Lillian and Willmar area. Milo had four half-siblings: Camron, Dorine, Ila, and Ione Johnson.

Milo enlisted in the United States Army on August 17, 1948, at the age of 18. He served honorably on active duty with Battery C, 39th AAA AW Battalion until April 7, 1950, attaining the rank of Corporal. He continued his service in the Army Reserves, where he rose to the rank of Sergeant First Class before receiving his honorable discharge on March 6, 1959.

In August 1953, Milo was united in marriage to Dorothy Irene Morris. They made their first home in Ottawa, Illinois, where they were blessed with three sons, Leon, Kurtis, and Bennie. Milo and Dorothy shared 72 years of marriage.

Milo worked at Libby Owen Ford until the summer of 1960, when he was part of a massive layoff. Milo, with his family, moved to Willmar, Minnesota, where he worked for the MN Natural Gas Co. In 1962, he was transferred to Glencoe. In 1968, he began working for 3M Manufacturing in Hutchinson, Minnesota, and worked there for 24 years. First as a plumber and later as a planner in the office. Following retirement, Milo enjoyed working in his garage and overseeing building jobs. Milo was never one to be idle and could always find something that needed fixing and working on projects.

Family vacations always included camping and fishing. The memories of these vacations were good for lots of reminiscing at family reunions when the brothers and their families would have their yearly get-together. Milo also enjoyed hunting trips to Wyoming with his brother, Camron, and his sons, Leon and Kurtis. Milo also enjoyed his yearly fishing trips with Leon and his great-grandkids to Mobridge, South Dakota. Milo cherished the time he spent with his family. Milo lived a life defined by kindness, selflessness, and unwavering devotion to his family.

Milo Gene Johnson, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, passed away on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at GlenFields Living with Care in Glencoe, at the age of 95 years, 10 months, and 1 day. Blessed be his memory.

Milo is survived by his
wife, Dorothy Johnson of Glencoe, MN;
sons, Leon Johnson (Pat) of Hutchinson, MN, Kurtis Johnson (Joann) of Dassel, MN, and Bennie Johnson (Masumi) of Fairbanks, AK;
grandchildren, Pam Lhotka (Stephen) of Delano, MN, Stephanie Morrison (Greg) of St. Paul, MN, Adam Johnson (Jen) of Cokato, MN, Eric Johnson (Haiyin) of Sydney, AU, and Dr. Aaron Johnson (Vanessa) of Queens, NY;
16 great-grandchildren;
2 great-great-grandchildren;
many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Milo was preceded in death by his stepfather and mother, Chris Johnson and Beatrice;  siblings, Dorine Johnson, Ione Pieper (Jim), Camron Johnson (Joann), and Ila Vossberg; granddaughter, Sarah Johnson; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Melvin and Irene Morris; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.