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.
He was born on June 29, 1940 in Avery County, North Carolina, one of nine children of Emmet & 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 and they made their home there 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 and 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 on Saturday, January 22, 2011at 1:00 PM 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 after which a (potluck) fellowship will be held at the Sedro-Woolley Community Center.
Thelma and Family,
My sincere sympathies for your loss. I will miss Warnie’s smile and presence
at the Rockport Country Store. So sorry I was unable to attend Warnie’s
memorial…His presence will always be felt when I enter Rockport to meet
folks at Howard Miller Steelhead Park for our Bald Eagle Raft Trips.
Love,
Dave & Jane
dear thelma and family, we can not tell you,how sorry to hear of warnies passing. we love and have all of you in our thoughts and prayers. love annie and jim.
To Thelma and all the family, I’m so sorry for your loss, Warnie was a wonderful sweet man and will be greatly missed. My love and prayers are with you all. May all your good memories be a comfort to you. Larki
Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you mourn the death of Warnie. He was a wonderful man! Sorry we won’t be able to attend the service on Saturday, but we will certainly be thinking of all of you.
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time. Warnie was a great guy and an old friend. We remember him from our old times living in Concrete and Rockport. So sorry to hear of his passing.
Thelma & family,
My thoughts and prayers and with
you during this difficult time.
Love,
Mary Jo Dellinger
Burlington
My deepest condolences to the Johnson family. I remember Warnie, from are high school days
Dearest Korrena, Tim, Thelma and family. God’s love and resurrecting grace to your father and husband at this time of loss. My prayers are with you during this time of change in your lives. Thelma may your journey of grief be ever so comforted in the days ahead knowing the love of your family, your beloved husband and your creator who loves you deeply.
God’s love and blessings
Mary Moran
My condolences to each of you.
Another Skagit Valley icon is gone and will certainly be missed.
To Thelma and all the Family, our deepest sympathy on the death of Warnie, husband and father and grandfather. I wish that he had been able to meet Joe. I feel fortunate to have been able to meet him. I did not realize that he came from such a large family, which we both have also. Our prayers and thoughts are with you at this time. Take care. Love, Theresa and Joe Gross