Harold "Lee" Johnson

Posted

(April 12, 2004)

Services for Harold "Lee" Johnson, 84, of Casper, formerly of Frannie, are scheduled for Friday, April 16, 2004, at 10 a.m. at Highland Park Community Church.

Pastor Steve Chadderdon will officiate. Burial will be in Oregon Trail State Veterans' Cemetery. Military Honors will be accorded by the Natrona County United Veterans' Council. Viewing will be Thursday, April 15, 2004, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Newcomer Family Funeral Home.

He died on April 12, 2004, at the Central Wyoming Hospice Home.

He was born on June 28, 1919, to Franz Oscar and Nannie (Smeltz) Johnson on the family homestead in Prowers County, Colo. He was the youngest of eight children and spent his early years catching and training wild horses on the family ranch.

He married Alma Conard on June 29,1940, in Johnson, Kan., and they worked on various ranches in the area. Johnson served in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific during World War II with the 77th Infantry Division. Upon his discharge in 1946, the family moved to Lamar, Colo. where he was a cabinet maker for Brown Lumber Company. The family moved to Glenrock in 1951 and he went to work for Conoco Oil Company. He worked for Conoco at the Glenrock refinery, in the South Glenrock and Big Muddy fields, the Frannie field and finally moved to Linch in 1964 where he retired from Conoco after 33 years of service. After retirement, he and his wife moved to Casper.

While living in Glenrock, Johnson was one of the early founders of Little League Baseball in Wyoming and served as the first Wyoming President for Babe Ruth Baseball. Besides baseball, he enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, gardening and his family and friends.

He is survived by two sons, Jimmie Joe (Carolyn) Johnson of Glenrock and Gary L. (Nancy) Johnson of Casper; and his daughter, Sandy Rusciolelli of Casper. He is also survived by two grandchildren who he raised: Richaelle (Mike) Hauffe of Marengo, Ill., and Nick (Lisa) Rusciolelli of Upland, Calif. He is survived by six other grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, many close friends and his beloved dog, Tuffy. He was preceded in death by his wife in 1992, his parents, four brothers and three sisters.

The family would appreciate memorials to the Central Wyoming Hospice Program, the Casper Humane Society or a charity of the donor's choice.

Newcomer Family Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

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