Charles Johnson

1929 - 2025

Charles Johnson

August 19, 1929 - November 2, 2025

Charles (Chuck) Royal Johnson, age 96, died November 2, 2025, in Rapid City, SD. He was born in Edgemont, SD on August 19, 1929. His parents were Charles Orland and Neva Eddith (Wickersham) Johnson. He spent his early years on his parents' homestead west of Provo, SD. He attended the Soft Water Valley one room school for grades 1 and 2, then the Provo School for grades 3 through 7. At that time the parents were forced to sell the family farm to the U.S. Government to allow construction of the Black Hills Ordinance Depot, Igloo, SD. The family moved to Edgemont, SD where Chuck finished high school in 1947.

In the fall of 1948, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps serving in the Marine Detachment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge during the Korean War. The last part of his four-year enlistment was spent as a drill instructor at USMC Recruit Depot in Parris Island, SC. After his discharge in 1952 he utilized the GI Bill to enroll at Nebraska State Teachers College in Chadron. On November 20, 1953, Chuck married Margaret Jane Inman at Ardmore, SD. From 1955 to 1965, they had five children, Daniel Charles, Roger Marion, Bradley Keith, Jeffery Miles and Jana Lee. In 1956, he completed his BS in Chadron.

His first teaching job was in Gering, NE, as an Industrial Arts Instructor from 1956 until 1959. From there, the growing family moved to Corvallis, OR where Chuck attended Oregon State University on a National Science Foundation scholarship, earning a MS in General Science in 1960. The next two years he taught high school Math and Physics in Woodland, CA. In 1962, they moved back to Corvallis and he taught Math at Corvallis High School and Linn-Benton Community College.

In 1968, they moved the family back to Edgemont where Chuck became a partner in Kustom Kraft Corporation as Production Manager. The company manufactured and marketed an extensive line of black walnut serving ware nationwide. He continued that work for 13 years. During that time frame he and Margaret divorced, and he later married Shirley M Heppner on December 3, 1977. In the summer of 1981, he was diagnosed with a severe autoimmune disease, scleroderma. This placed limitations on his physical activities, so in January 1983 he returned to Chadron State College and earned a BA in Computer Science in 1984. That lead to working as a teacher and Director of Technology in the Douglas, WY school system. He retired from this position in July 1992.

They moved from Douglas to Rapid City, SD, in November 2000. During their retirement years they traveled in the winter months to sections of the southern United States. In 2002, they purchased a home in Yuma, AZ, that became their winter residence for many years. Summertime activities included camping and fishing, gardening, and restoring antique Ford automobiles. Other interests and hobbies were wood and metal working, house remodeling, computers, reading, and publishing the Black Hills Marine Corps League newsletter. He was a life member of the VFW, American Legion, US Seagoing Marine Association, and the National Education Association.

He was preceded in death by his former wife, Margaret; his wife, Shirley; his parents; and his five sisters, Lois Charlotte French, Alta Mae Coleman, Doris Opal Reiner, Mildred Elaine Brown/Lowe, and Vernice Hope Salmon/Raben; also, an infant granddaughter, Amanda Johnson; stepsons-in-law, Dick Owens and Dick Proell.

Surviving family include four sons, Daniel (Mary Milroy) Johnson, Yankton, SD, Roger (Amy) Johnson, Marathon, FL, Bradley (Brenda) Johnson, Rapid City, Jeffery (Connie) Johnson, Sherwood, OR; and one daughter, Jana (Brad) Jensen, Reno, NV; four stepdaughters, Kristy Owens, Edgemont, Karen Proell, Rapid City, Kathy (Rocky) Bell, Alliance, NE, Karla (Mark) Weldon, Edgemont; 16 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, seven step grandchildren, 145 step-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation is Wednesday November 5th at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home from 5 to 7 p.m. The memorial service will be Thursday November 6th at Canyon Lake United Methodist Church at 10:30 a.m. A luncheon will follow, and interment will be at 1:30 p.m. at the Black Hills National Cemetery with full military honors.

Memorial donations can be made to the Marine Corps League Black Hills #484, PO Box 18, Caputa, SD 55725 or the charity of your choice.

Please share your memories of Chuck at: www.OsheimSchmidt.com.