Jerry James Johnson 1941-2021

JOHNSON, BLEKFELD

Posted By: Barry R Huntsinger (email)
Date: 4/11/2021 at 17:17:06

Jerry James Johnson, 79, passed away on February 27, 2021 at his home in Cortez, Colorado.

Jerry was born June 12, 1941 in Estherville, Iowa to Theodore Leroy Johnson and Leona Marie (Blekfeld) Johnson. He grew up in Armstrong, Iowa. After high school, he attended junior college and electronics technical school. He then worked for several years as an electronics technician in the Chicago, Illinois area.

In the 70’s, he moved to Cortez, Colorado where he was employed by the City of Cortez, Water Department. He was a longtime contributor to and volunteer at the Southwest Colorado Concerts who brought world-class musicians to the southwestern region of Colorado to perform at the Montezuma-Cortez High School. He enjoyed serving in the security detail and using a golf cart to ferry concert goers who needed assistance negotiating the long walk from the parking lot. Jerry loved music and was especially fond of Opera.

Quick with a story and a chuckle, Jerry was a kind, generous, and selfless person who was always ready to lend a hand. His last act of kindness was buying a bag of cat food for the cats in his neighborhood. He was a Christian Scientist who practiced spiritual healing. Always curious, ever inventing, he would draw from the metaphysical to devise solutions. He had an active imagination and loved creating purposeful things with found objects.

Jerry is survived by one niece, Nancy Abel of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and nephews Richard Johnson of Bloomington, Minnsota and Bruce Johnson of Missouri Valley, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his parents and an older brother, Richard “Dick” Johnson.

His ashes will be interred next to his parents at Armstrong Grove Cemetery in Armstrong, Iowa.