Edwin “Bud” Magnus Johnson, 96, died peacefully on Monday, April 25, 2022, with his family at his side.
Bud, the son of Edwin O. B. and Mildred (Hildenbrandt) Johnson, was born on September 14, 1925, in Wells County, ND. He attended Pleasant View Rural School near his home and Hurdsfield High School, graduating in 1943. Following graduation, Bud farmed northwest of Hurdsfield.
Bud started dating Verona Maydole after winning the bid on her beautiful lunch of chicken and potato salad at a box lunch auction. They married on December 25, 1948, in Bowdon, ND, a union of mutual admiration and love lasting 72 years. Bud and Verona made their first home on the farm near Hurdsfield before moving to a farm southeast of Twin Valley, MN in 1952. They lived on this farm overlooking Home Lake for 60 years and were blessed with two children, Barry and Bonnie.
Bud was a hard worker and was incredibly proud of his family and their farm. He was a farmer all his life, spending every day doing chores, taking care of the livestock, and driving tractors in the fields. In the early years, he used a team of horses to complete his chores. He milked cows for 17 years, had beef cattle, and raised crops. In 2012 they bought a house in Ada, MN, and moved to town where, at age 86, he built a new shop and bought a smaller tractor.
Bud remained active all his life. You could often find him in his shop singing a tune as he worked on one of his many projects. He loved to build things, everything from small buildings and bookcases to trailers, lawn ornaments, and birdhouses. One of his favorite pastimes was attending auction sales, always finding old friends and new treasures. He was an avid gardener, spending many hours every summer tending to his vegetables.
Bud was a humble man with a dry wit and an impeccable memory of life’s stories. He loved to visit, tell jokes, shake dice, eat cookies, and drink coffee. He was adored by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and enjoyed giving them rides on a trailer behind his John Deere mower or by his side on his golf cart.
Verona died on December 15, 2020, and a year later Bud moved to a senior living center in East Grand Forks, MN where he spent this last winter living independently near family. Bud was an active member of the Flom Lions for 27 years and Zion Lutheran Church in Twin Valley, MN.
Edwin “Bud” is survived by son, Barry (Lorie) Johnson of Kenmare, ND; daughter, Bonnie (David) Solberg of Grand Forks, ND; grandchildren Kate (Arthur) Howard, Bryan (Maggie) Johnson, Matt (Brooke) Solberg, Amy (Nathan) Fiala, Megan (Eric) Bonn, Matthew (Kelly) Stewart, Natasha (Jim) Haugen; 19 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Sharlene Halvorson and Pat Dettman; brothers-in-law Doug and Lloyd Maydole.
He was preceded in death by his wife Verona, sister Ruth Brakel, brother Duane Johnson, and grandson Mark Solberg.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at Zion Lutheran Church, Twin Valley, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior at the church.
