Wallace Loren Johnson of Hermiston died peacefully at his home on Feb. 18, 2019 at the age of 93.
He was born in Portland on May 13, 1925 to Loren Albert and Helen Mate Harbke Johnson.
Wallace grew up on his father’s turkey farm at Johnson’s Landing near Scappoose, where he developed a love of raising cattle and crops. During his senior year of high school he drove a school bus route and worked on the farm. He received both State Farmer and American Farmer degrees through the Future Farmers of America program. He graduated from Scappoose Union High School in the class of 1944. After graduation, he started a dairy farm on his grandfather Albert Johnson’s farm, which he ran for 30 years. In the fall of 1945, he married his high school sweetheart, Ava Dee Thomas. The couple resided at the dairy next to Multnomah Channel for the next 30 years, where they raised their three children. In 1974, they sold the dairy and moved to Madras, where he farmed until 1996. Ava preceded him in death in 1983.
Wallace married Ruby Wilbur in 1984, and the couple built a home and resided in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho until divorcing in 2002. In 2004 he married Louise Dedrick and moved to Hermiston, where he had resided since.
Wallace enjoyed taking the motorhome to Yuma, Ariz. for the winters, traveling, playing golf and cards, and working in his yard. He was a Boy Scout leader for six years and enjoyed taking his boys for hikes down the Pacific Crest Trail. He also enjoyed fishing trips to British Columbia and many camping trips around Oregon. He played football in high school and was a lifelong Oregon State Beavers fan. He joined the Masonic Lodge in Scappoose in 1947 and received his 70-year membership pin in Hermiston in 2018.
He is survived by his loving wife, Louise Johnson and her children, Kathy, Donny Fulcher, Linda Phillips and Sue Leathers; his son, Douglas Johnson of Bend; daughters, Trudy Conzoner of Lake Oswego and Lorna Hockett of Waldport; brothers, Dale Johnson of Salem and Bruce R. Johnson of Victoria, British Columbia; grandchildren, Mitch Johnson, Phil Johnson, Jolie Conzoner, Alisyn Shaw, Tara Wiswall, Bryan Hockett and Kevin Hockett; great grandchildren, Ethan, Elliott, Rhett, Ross, Desmond and Alannah.
In addition to his first wife, Ava, he was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Barbara in 1939.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 1 p.m. at the Stanfield Moose Lodge, 615 W. Coe Ave.
To leave an online condolence for the family, please go to burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of final arrangements.
