NEIL JOHNSON obituary

HARLEM Neil E. Johnson,

82, of Harlem, former printer

and publisher of the Chinook

Opinion and Harlem News, died

of congestive heart failure at his

home Saturday, June 10, 2006,

with his family present.

At Neil's request, graveside

services with military honors

will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday

at the Harlem Cemetery.

Following the service, family

and friends are invited to

refreshments at the Harlem

VFW Club. Neil was

born in Cavalier, N.D., on

June 13, 1923, to Theodore R.

and Thelma (Abel) Johnson.

The Johnson family

moved to Chinook when Neil

was 12. He was a member of the

Chinook Presbyterian Church.

Neil graduated from Chinook

High School in 1942. After graduation,

he hitchhiked to Tacoma,

Wash., to work in the shipyards,

but came back home to enlist in

the Army in March of 1943. Neil

served from March 3, 1943, to

Nov. 30, 1945, in the U.S. Army.

He was a tech 5 lineman with the

337th ENGR Combat BN, serving

in five campaigns: European,

African, Middle Eastern Naples-

Foggia, Rome Arno, North

Appennines and PO Valley. He

was en route to the Philippines

when the war ended. Neil

received the European African

MidEastern Service Medal,

Bronze Star, Asiatic-Pacific

Service Medal, Victory Medal

and Good Conduct Medal.

Following the war, Neil returned

to Chinook and went to work at

the Opinion with his folks.

He married Maxine Conrad

on Nov. 2, 1947. They then moved

to Minneapolis, where Neil graduated

from the Dunwood

Institute for Offset Printing. Neil

and Max returned to run the

Harlem News in 1950 and have

lived in Harlem since January of

1951. Neil traveled back and forth

to Chinook to work both papers,

while Max kept the Harlem News

going. The newspapers were sold

in 1984, but Neil kept working

until he retired in 1997. Neil was

a member of the Chinook

Company M National Guards for

three years before the war and

three years after. He was a charter

member of Chinook VJW

Post 4620 and lifetime member of

Snake Butte VFW Post 4744. His

camaraderie with his bowling

team of many years was near

and dear to his heart. These

friendships carried Neil and Max

throughout their life together.

Neil enjoyed keeping score for 20

some years for the Harlem

Wildcats, his river trips, camping,

fishing, bowling, hunting,

golfing, photography, his greenhouse,

and taking care of his

beautiful yard.

He was preceded in death by

his father, Ted Johnson, and

mother, Thelma (Abel) Johnson;

infant daughter, Sheila M.

Johnson; and 15-year-old daughter,

Jennifer A. Johnson, in 1988.

Survivors include his wife of

58 years, Maxine Johnson; children,

Rick (Kathy) Johnson of

Harlem, Rhonda (Jim) Brewer

of Zurich and Nick (Darla) of

Dodson; siblings, Emma Taylor

of Chinook, Jack Johnson of

Chinook, Dona Doughten of

Aurora, Colo., Jeri (Earl) Bahr

of Chinook and Keelah McKay of

Chinook; nine grandchildren; 10

great-granchildren; and numerous

nieces and nephews.

Edwards Funeral Home is in

charge of the arrangements.