Wayne R. Johnson

WAYNE R. JOHNSON August 7, 1924 – August 10, 2012 Wayne was born and reared in Bertrand, Nebraska, and spent many summers during his youth working on his grandfather’s farm near Wenona, Illinois. He graduated in 1942 from Bertrand High, where he was active in sports and served as captain of the basketball team. After high school, Wayne enlisted in the Army and entered the European Theater of Operations at Omaha Beach just after D-Day. Serving in the Signal Corps with Patton’s Third Army, Wayne saw action in several major campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge. When the atomic bomb eliminated the need for his unit’s movement to the Pacific, Wayne returned to enroll at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, graduating in 1950 with a degree in Journalism. He worked in the news department of the Omaha World-Herald for 37 years, finding time to assist with his children’s youth organizations, including scouting and Little League Baseball. Wayne spent much of his time in retirement writing stories about his family and his wartime experiences. Wayne married Mary McCurdy in Lincoln in 1950. They had five children (Mark, Eric, Ann, Joe and Robb) and seven grandchildren (Mark’s three children, Andrew, Caitlin and Madeline; Eric’s three children, Jessica, Matt and Leigh; and Robb’s daughter, Hannah). Wayne is survived by his brother, Rev. Francis Johnson and his wife, Marian. He also is survived by two sisters and their husbands, Florence and Burton Holthus and Alyce and Rev. Russ Bolm. Wayne was predeceased by his parents, Aaron and Lettie (Lindgren) Johnson, his son Joe, and his sister Ardyth and her husband Jim Fox. The family will receive visitors on Sunday, August 12, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The funeral service will be at the funeral home Monday, August 13, at 1:00 p.m., followed by burial at St. Patrick’s Cemetery at Manley, NE. Memorials may be directed to The University of Nebraska Foundation.

HEAFEY-HEAFEY-HOFFMANN DWORAK & CUTLER Mortuaries and Crematories 7805 West Center Road Omaha, Nebraska 68124 (402) 391-3900

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