Obituary of Wallace Earl Johnson

Geddes – Wallace Earl Johnson, 86, went to his heavenly home Friday, June 28 at Aurora-Brule Nursing Home in White Lake.  Funeral service will be Monday, July 1 at 11:00 am at Geddes Community Church in Geddes.  A private, family committal service will be held at Pleasant Lawn Cemetery in Geddes.  Arrangements by Koehn Bros. Funeral Home in Armour.

Wally was born February 2, 1938 to Ivan and Lois (Bennett) Johnson in Pierre, SD.  During the second World War, his family moved to Portland, OR and from there to Nasell, WA.  In 1945, they moved to Los Angeles, CA.  In 1950, Wally and his mother moved back to South Dakota where Lois took care of her aging parents.  He attended school in Geddes and graduated from Geddes High School in 1956.  On June 4, 1956, Wally enlisted in the United States Air Force and served his country until his honorable discharge on June 3, 1960.  During this time, he was stationed at Parks Air Force Base in California.  After graduating from Tech School, he was stationed in Japan for a year.  At the completion of his service in Japan, he returned to home and on April 9, 1958 was united in marriage to Ruby Houska.  The couple moved to Indiana where Wally was stationed.  Upon his discharge from the service, they bought a farm south of Geddes, SD where they raised their 4 children, Debora, Nancy, Jeff and Jay.  Wally lived on the farm until August 14, 2023 when he moved to Aurora-Brule Nursing Home in White Lake, SD.  He was a member of the Geddes Community Church (formerly United Methodist Church) in Geddes and served on the school board, Charles Mix Electric Board, the East River Electric Board and the South Dakota Value  Added Agriculture Board.

Grateful for having shared his life are his children:  Debora (Craig) Schroeder of Doland, SD; Nancy (Wayne) Deelstra of Watertown, SD; and Jay (Shondra) Johnson of Geddes; 7 grandchildren; 3 step-grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and 5 step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Ruby; son, Jeff; and an infant grandson, Christopher.