Don Johnson, passed away on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at his home in Orem, Utah, just shy of his 95th birthday. He was born on September 15, 1926, to Amon and Arvilla Erickson Johnson in Sutherland, Utah. He grew up on the family farm in Sutherland where he learned a good work ethic from his father as well as many useful and practical skills that he used throughout his life.
Don married Tenna Jensen of Deseret on July 10, 1946. They were married for 65 wonderful years and had three children: Dennis, Steve, and Shauna. After Tenna passed away in 2011, he married Claudia Terrill with whom he shared 10 good years.
Don had many jobs throughout his life. His first job came when he was 7 years old where he would ride the derrick horse while the hay was put up. After a week of hard work, he was paid a whole silver dollar. As a teenager in high school, Don rented a farm for 2 years and sold milk from his milk cow to earn spending money. After graduating from high school in 1944, he took up the responsibility of running the family farm when his father’s health began to decline due to arthritis. That winter, Don began working for the Geneva Steel Mill but returned home in the summer to work the farm and help his family. For several years, he worked in a mine west of Sutherland... and then in 1951, he went to work for a state engineering crew. In 1963, Don decided he wanted to be home more with his family and began his career with the maintenance crew in Delta for the State Road Department. In his 36 years on the crew, he learned to operate heavy equipment and retired as the foreman. In his spare time, Don liked working with metal and built his own horse trailer and a trailer for his golf cart.
Don enjoyed most sports, both playing and watching. He loved playing baseball and coached a junior girls softball team that he was very proud of. He was a talented water skier and could do several tricks on skis. It was a pastime he shared with his family as he helped them to learn to ski as they grew up. During the winters, he liked to ice skate and play hockey at the reservoir. Don was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed going hunting, fishing, and going on 4-wheeler rides with his boys and friends. He loved horses and was a talented horse trainer. Along with helping to organize the riding club for the West Millard area, he also bought and helped train a barrel racing horse that would later become a national champion.
Don is survived by his wife: Claudia; children: Dennis (Leslie) Johnson of Riverton; Steven (Creta) Johnson of Sutherland; and Shauna (Dwight) Dannelly of Enterprise; 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife: Tenna.
A Graveside Celebration of his Life will be held at the Sutherland Cemetery on Friday, September 10, at 12:30 pm. A viewing will be held at the Nickle Mortuary from 11:00-12:10, before traveling to the Cemetery.