James 'Jim' Lewis Johnson

Monday, May 13, 2013

Sept. 30, 1928-May 10, 2013

STOCKVILLE, Nebraska -- James "Jim" Johnson, of Stockville, passed away May 10, 2013 at McCook.

Services will be held at the Stockville Community Hall on Tuesday, May 14, at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Jean Miller officiating. He will lay at rest at Arbor Cemetery at Stockville. Curtis American Legion Post No. 95 will conduct military honors

James Lewis Johnson was born Sept. 30, 1928, to Arthur and Alice (Ewing) Johnson on a farm eight miles northeast of Stockville. He attended grade school at Rural District No. 56. He graduated from Stockville High School in 1946. After graduation he worked for various farmers, helped build the Cambridge REA system, and worked at Montgomery Ward in McCook, before enlisting in the Air Force for four years in 1950, three years of which were spent in Hawaii. After his discharge, he returned to help his father on the farm until he married Twila Pauline Max on June 26, 1955, at the Jacob and Carrie Max farm seven miles southeast of Stockville. They lived the first year of their marriage on a farm south of Curtis. Twila taught school and Jim farmed. Jim had Hereford cattle and Twila had a few head of purebred Angus. The Herefords were sold and more purebred Angus were bought. Thus, Frontier Angus Farm was established. Angus cattle are still an important part of their operation. Production sales were held at Curtis, Cambridge and McCook, and finally at the farm. Now in partnership with their son, Paul, cattle are sold privately at the farm.

Jim and Twila moved back to the Stockville area in 1956, just across the creek southwest of Stockville. They lived in the old rock house for a year. With the help of his father-in-law, his father, and Grant Richey, Jim constructed a basement and a house was moved from the Amos Cole farm, south of Curtis and placed on it. They moved into the house in 1957 and later were blessed with sons, Paul, Billy and Rodney.

Jim and Twila built a new house on the former Harry Herman/Ted Current farm, three miles southwest of Stockville, which they had purchased in 1970. They moved in to their new home on Christmas Eve 1993.

Jim was a member of the Curtis American Legion Post 95 for 57 years; lifetime member of the American Angus Association, Southwest Nebraska Angus Association and Nebraska Angus Association, awarded the 2010 Pioneer Angus Producer award; past Frontier Agricultural Society member and Stockville School Board member.

Survivors are wife, Twila; sons, Paul (Gail), Stockville; Bill (Theresa) Edmond, Oklahoma; Rod (Julie Farber), Firth Nebraska; grandchildren, Jacob, Edmond, Oklahoma, Matthew, Chicago, Illinois, Samantha, Firth, Nebraska, Benjamin, Firth; step-grandchildren, Jason (Maggie) Potter, Cambridge, Nebraska, James Stuart, Lincoln, Nebraska, Josie Stuart, Lincoln, Steven Dieter, Firth; step-great-grandchildren, Quade Potter, Wilber, Nebraska; sister, Millie (Cliff) Becker, Lincoln; sisters-in-law, Carol Max, Cambridge, and LaVonne (Joe) Hinton, Willows, California.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Alice Johnson; brothers, Billy and Robert; sisters and brothers-in-law, Margaret (Harold) Jorgenson and Marilyn (LaVern) Owens; and brother-in-law, Alva Max.

Online condolences may be left at lockenour.com.