Dick Johnson

Dick Johnson, age 75, of Aurora, died Sunday night, June 10, 2001 at Memorial Hospital in Aurora.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Thursday at the Presbyterians U.C.C. in Aurora. Rev. Mary McQueen will officiate. Burial will be at the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 P.M., Wednesday at Higby Mortuary. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: WARREN JOHNSON

Warren Richard "Dick" Johnson, the son of Reuben V. and Winnie (Killion) Johnson, was born at Shickley, Nebraska on January 2, 1926 and died in Aurora, Nebraska on June 10, 2001, at the age of 75 years.

Dick grew up in Shickley and graduated from high school in 1943. He worked at Bruning Air Base for a year after high school. He joined the Navy in 1944 and took his training at Farragut, Idaho and then was transferred to gunnery school in San Diego, California. He was then assigned to the SS Mandarin and sent to the South Pacific and then transferred to the USS Indiana at San Francisco, California. Dick was discharged on June 4, 1946 at Bremerton, Washington with the rank of Yeoman Third Class. He returned to his hometown of Shickley. In 1947 he traveled to California, where he lived with his grandparents, the Frank Killions, and worked for the City of Glendale Light Department. Dick returned to Nebraska and moved to Aurora in 1953 where he worked for Consumers Public Power.

Dick was united in marriage to Margaret Carnes on February 5, 1954 at the Federated Church in Aurora. Dick worked for the Farmers Co-op Creamery until it closed in 1969. He then went to work for the Berthelsen's Century Manufacturing until his retirement in January 1990.

He was a member of the Hamilton Merrick ARC, Presbyterian U.C.C., where he served on the building and grounds boards. He also had been a member of the American Legion and VFW.

Dick enjoyed all sports. He coached his daughter Linda's softball team under the name of Larry's Electric and also helped coach with Glade Snoberger's team Aurora First National Bank. He was a great Chicago Cubs' fan. He always enjoyed selling tickets for the Aurora Alumni Basketball tournament. He loved his pet schnauzer, Maggie.

Dick was preceded in death by his father, Reuben, his mother and step-father, Winnie and William Retland and step-grandson, Travis Petzoldt.

Dick is survived by his wife Margaret of Aurora; son, Larry Warren Johnson of Grand Island; daughter, Linda Petzoldt and her husband Bob of Grand Island; step-granddaughter, Brandi Jessiman and her husband Thomas of London, England; two sisters, Clara Mae Dishington and her husband Rodger of Redondo Beach, California and Jackie Lund of Lincoln; brother, Dale Johnson and his wife Beverly of Beatrice; brother-in-law & sister-in-law, Kenneth and Avis Carnes of Hampton; sister-in-laws, Beverly Newsom of Wilburton, Oklahoma, Jan Carnes of New Port Richy, Florida and Marie Carnes of Sun City, California and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.