Warnie Lee Johnson

Warnie Lee Johnson

Warnie Lee Johnson, 70, a 60 year resident of the Rockport community, passed away on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at the St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, WA.
He was born on June 29, 1940 in Avery County, North Carolina, one of nine children of Emmet and Gladys (Bowman) Johnson. He was raised in North Carolina until the age of 10 when his family moved to Rockport. He attended grade school in Rockport and high school in Concrete.
Warnie began working in the woods at the age of 11, working alongside of his father with a chain saw trimming and bucking trees. In a very short time he became an expert tree faller and was able to drop a tree on target every time.
He worked for Reece Brothers Logging and Summit Timber; operated his own logging company, "Wild Country Contracting", and worked for other logging companies until his retirement in October of 2001, retiring with over 40 years of tree falling experience.
He knew and respected the dangers of his job every day, but logging was in his blood. He missed the thrill and danger of falling the trees long after his retirement.
Warnie was united in marriage to Thelma Cress in Rockport in October of 1960 where they made their home together for the past 50 years, and Warnie was very proud and honored to have reached that 50th anniversary with Thelma.
Warnie enjoyed hunting and fishing and made fishing jigs for family and friends. He also enjoyed sports of all kinds, feeding his birds, and gardening and canning. But above all his family was his greatest enjoyment.
He recently had the opportunity to travel to North Carolina with his family to visit his childhood homesite which he had not seen in over 50 years.
Warnie is survived by his wife, Thelma, at the family home in Rockport; his daughters, Tonya Brumley and her husband, Dan, of Mount Vernon, Korrena Gross and her husband, Tim, and Paula Torgeson and her husband, Todd, of Sedro-Woolley; eight grandchildren, Marie, Katrina, Kelsey, Kara, Kaelin, Terrel, Taylor and Emma; four great grandchildren, Michael, Lucas, Austin and RyLee; four brothers, Wid, Willis, Wesley and Wayne Johnson; three sisters, Judy Downing, Joyce Cearly and Janie Burson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Jeanne Johnson.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 22, 2011, at Lemley Chapel in Sedro-Woolley, with an old fishing acquaintance, Pastor Mark Miller, of Texas, officiating. Interment will follow at the Sedro-Woolley Union Cemetery.
Share memories of Warnie and sign the online guest register at www.lemleychapel.com