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Duaine Earl Johnson
Kodiak resident Duaine Earl Johnson died Saturday, Nov. 29,
2003, of injuries sustained while operating excavating equipment in Kodiak. He
was 69.
A memorial service will be held in Kenai at 3
p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the Eagles Club. Mr. Johnson's cremated remains will
be scattered on Mount Redoubt by his sons.
Mr. Johnson was born to Earl and Lucille
Johnson of Fonda, Iowa, on July 22, 1934. He was lured to Alaska with wife Mable
and firstborn son by Skagway residents Chuck and Helen Clark.
Clark was Mr. Johnson's uncle and participated
in the construction of the Alaska Highway during the war. Helen was the daughter
of a '98 miner who remained in Skagway after the Klondike gold rush.
An additional son and daughter were born to
Duaine and Mable in Skagway. Mr. Johnson and family lived in Sitka during the
'64 earthquake and entertained friends in their Swan Lake home in anticipation
of the tsunami that never arrived.
Recently divorced, Mr. Johnson moved to the
Kenai Peninsula in 1965 and to Kodiak in 1983. He worked as carpenter,
electrician and excavator. He dabbled in several business ventures including
taxi service, laundry and dry cleaning, water well drilling and earth moving. He
was self employed for the majority of his adult life.
Most noted for his relentless work ethic, Mr.
Johnson had a tremendous love of Alaska. He talked up Alaska to "outsiders" at
any given opportunity. He enticed his adult sons as well as two of his 13
siblings into taking up residency in Alaska.
Mr. Johnson is survived by his mother, Lucille
Johnson of Wallingford, Iowa; sons and daughters-in-law, Dwight and Lenoria
Johnson and Wayne and Peggy Johnson of Soldotna; daughter and son-in-law, Erleen
and Jeff Mefford of Pomeroy, Iowa; sisters and brothers-in-law, Elaine and Ron
Rustad and Sharon and Lyle Jones of Kenai and Wasilla; eight additional brothers
and sisters; and eight grandchildren.
Arrangements were made by Kodiak Mortuary.
Source:
Peninsula Clarion, December 5, 2003
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