J. Johnson

J Darrell Johnson passed away peacefully on May 9th, 2023. He was born

in Houston, Texas on July loth, 1942 but lived most of his growing up

years in southeastern Oklahoma where he spent many a night chasing

his coon hound, Rusty, through the woods.



He attended college in Wilburton Oklahoma before coming to eastern

Montana to teach rural schools. He met Lois Rogge and her mother on

horseback, bringing Lois's brother to attend the school he was teaching.

Darrell went back to Oklahoma to attend another year of college then

returned to Montana to teach school at Hilger for two years. He and

Lois were married in Winett on November 26th, 1964.



Darrell attended Eastern Montana College earning his Bachelors degree.

This is where daughter, Sheryl, was born. He taught two years at Paris

Gibson junior high in Great Falls. There Darrell's students were winning

art show contests over high school students. That caused administrators

to stop letting the junior high students compete with the high school.



Darrell attended University of Montana in 1969 earning his masters

degree in graphic arts. The family arrived in Dillon in August of 1970 for

Darrell to teach art in Beaverhead County High School.



Darrell loved teaching art and always talked about how his students

were blossoming into artists. Many of his students did well in the art

world, teaching and producing all forms of art. They would often come

back to visit him when they were in town.



The art club at BCHS did many projects that earned them money to do

things like buy potters wheels and a furnace for firing ceramics. They

also made a trip to Seattle to see the King Tut's exhibit.



Darrell also worked as an orderly in hospitals at Billings Deaconess, Great Fall Columbus and Missoula's St. Pats, while going to school and also Teaching.



After teaching, Darrell and Lois had a sign and house painting business.

He was still doing signs in January of this year.



Darrell's other passions besides his family and art, were fishing and

hunting. His fifty plus years here were very special to him as he fished

and hunted the streams and mountains around Dillon.



Darrell was preceded in death by his mother and father, Thomas and

Nita Johnson, sisters Clara King and Wanda McCauley and brothers Bill

and Richard Johnson. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lois,

daughter Sheryl (Brad) Wutzke and granddaughter Sarah Wutzke, along

with numerous nieces and nephews. And his special dog, Marley and his

cats.