Pastor Charles Johnson
On Tuesday, March 13, 2018, the gracious and merciful Lord Jesus Christ called home His faithful servant Reverend Charles Earl Johnson to be with Him in heaven.
Pastor Johnson was born on January 22, 1948, in Watseka, Illinois, the son of Earl and Evadell Johnson. At the age of three weeks, he joined the family of God through Holy Baptism; during this time in the church year, the season of Lent had begun. God had a plan 70 years later to bring Charlie together with the family of saints in heaven during this present Lenten season.
His early life was spent in nearby Buckley, Illinois, where he attended St. John’s Lutheran Grade School. Except for the first two years at a public high school, Charlie attended and graduated from Concordia High and Concordia College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as from Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees were received respectively. His seminary instruction was completed at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, awarding him the Theological Diploma and Masters of Divinity degree in 1974. Charlie’s third year of work at the seminary was a vicarage at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Woodstock, Illinois. On June 30, 1974, at the age of 26, Pastor Johnson was ordained into the Holy Ministry of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod at his home church in Buckley.
Charlie and the former Kathleen Krypciak were united in Holy Matrimony on August 12, 1972, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois, where he did his field work while attending the seminary. They were blessed with four children, two boys and two girls all of whom he baptized and confirmed. Performing the marriage rite for his children was an extended blessing.
Throughout his 40 plus years in the ministry, Pastor Johnson accepted three faith calls serving 13 years at Trinity (Roanoke, Illinois) and 10 years at Trinity (Bluffs, Illinois), which became a part of a dual parish with Immanuel, a church about ten miles away. In addition to shepherding his own churches, he was frequently called to serve various vacancies in the Illinois circuits; for this he was given the title of “King of the Vacancies” by his peers. For 17 years, he was pastor of a triple parish in North Dakota which included Grace, Cooperstown, Trinity, Hope, and Zion, Binford. After taking semi-retirement in 2014, Pastor Johnson continued serving both Grace and Zion. For each call, he proudly served as Circuit Counselor for the Bloomington, Jacksonville, and New Rockford Circuits. Serving as LWML Counselor was another privilege bestowed upon his ministry.
Retiring in August of 2016, Reverend Johnson continued to fill pulpit supply for other pastors in the Missouri Synod. Both he and Kathy moved to Moorhead, Minnesota, where they became first time home owners after always living in parsonages.
Pastor Charles Johnson is survived by his wife Kathy of 45 years; children: Matthew (Tammy) of Jacksonville, Illinois; Michael (Dena) of Kirkwood, Missouri; and Rebekah (Nick) Hoffman of McHenry, North Dakota; grandchildren: Kody, Klay, Aubree, and Easton; mother-in-law Hazel Krypciak of Fairview Heights, Illinois; sisters: Betty (Rob) Verhoeven of San Jose, California, and Mary (Mark) Allen of Monmouth, Oregon; brother-in-law Mike (Cathy) Krypciak of Swansea, Illinois; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, father-in-law Stanley Krypciak, daughter Rachel, and stillborn grandson Stanley Johnson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Beautiful Savior or any of the churches that Pastor Johnson served during his ministry.
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So sorry for your loss. We are thinking of you and sending prayers your way. Pastor Johnson will be missed.
Kathy, Matthew, Michael, Rebekah and families, We are so sorry for your loss. We will miss Pastor Johnson. Sending prayers your way.
Kathy, you are in our prayers. We will miss Charlie and his gentle ways. Love you! Marla and Dan
I am so sad to hear of Pastor Johnson’s passing. My family has been connected with him through his service at Trinity Lutheran in Hope, ND and later as a member of Beautiful Savior in Fargo. We all adored him and appreciated him very much, and we will miss him. God’s blessings to Kathy and the rest of Pastor Johnson’s family. I take comfort in knowing he is with the Lord.
Prayers for you and your family
Sorry for your loss prayers are with you and your family
Kathy,
Bonnie and I send our sincere sympathy to you, Rebekah, Matthew, and Michael and families during this time of loss for a special member of your family. We will certainly keep your family in prayer during this time.
When a faithful servant of Christ departs this world, it is a sad day for us, yet a joyous day for him. Charlie was always a faith-filled and hope-filled man of God. He was a blessing to many and I count it as a privilege to have known him and gone to school with him for many years. May the Easter message of the Christ’s resurrection be more meaningful this year! Kathy, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Kathy and family. May God give you strength during this difficult time.
Our heartfelt sympathy to all the family members! We knew Charlie when my husband first began his ministry in Secor, Illinois. He was a wonderful and loving man and Pastor. Rev. Thomas and Kathrine Diamond
You are on our mind and in our hearts at this time of mourning. Pray the Lord stays with you to help you find strength with one another.
I was so so to hear of Pastor Johnson’s passing. I heard him speak a couple of times and knew him mostly as a class of 2007 parent. He was always so supportive of Rebecca and her classmates. May God’s warmth embrace you all. Love Lisa (Ott) Jones, Frazee MN
Our prayers for your family. God blessed you with a great person in Pastor Charles. He will continue to watch over you from above.
Our deepest sympathy Kathy to u and your family, It was again a joy to receive your Christmas letter when returning home in feb. what a blessing to have had all together at that time for pictures. Our thoughts and prayers are with you now. May you find strength in our lord as Charlie always did while serving as shepherd to various churches. God must have had a truely large vacancy to have called him home at this time. Friends through Christ. Fred & Paula
So sorry for your loss. Take comfort in our Lord’s certain promises! (1st Thessalonians 4:13-18) You and your family will be in our prayers at Concordia/Jamestown tomorrow.
Dear Kathy and family,
We are truly sorry to hear of Pastor Charlie’s recent passing. He was a gift to our congregation at Beautiful Savior here in Fargo and he will be missed. Love and prayers, Janet & Larry Bartz
Dear Kathy and family,
My deepest sympathies on the loss of your husband Charles. Treasure the beautiful memories to help you through this sad time.
Our prayers are with you and your family for comfort, peace and strength during this very sad time. Charlie was a gift from God and has now taken him back home with him. Peace be with you knowing that Charlie is at peace. Ron & Brenda Ennen and the congregation of ST. Peter Lutheran Church at Thawville, IL.
Kathy, Matthew, Michael, and Rebekah and families
May the Lord fill your hearts with peace as you move through this difficult time. Know that our prayers are with you and we shall miss Pastor Johnson.
David and Bonnie
My heart goes out to you and your family at this time. We’ll be keeping you all in our thoughts and hearts.
So sorry to hear of your loss. Pastor married us at Trinity Lutheran Church – Bluffs, Illinois in 1991. Thoughts and prayers to your family.
We are thinking of you and your family!
Mrs. Grover and the 6th graders at Griggs County Central 😉
Kathy,
May our Lord comfort you and your family during this time of grief. Please accept our sincere condolences.
Jeff & Bonnie Schone
Saddlebrooke, MO (formerly Bluffs, IL)
We are very sorry for your loss Rebekah. We are praying for you, Nick and Easton;your mother and extended families. Praying for comfort and strength in the coming days and celebrating your dad in heaven with his Saviour!
Sending our thoughts and prayers to you, Kathy, and to all of your family. Know Pastor will be deeply missed by his family, but he is rejoicing with his Lord and Saviour! God’s blessings to you all.
Kathy & Family:
I am so sorry for your loss. I got to know Pastor Charlie while he served Trinity Lutheran Church in Bluffs and Kathy taught for me while I was Superintendent of Schools. I remember watching the kids grow while they attend school and participated in many activities. Charlie and I were on the volunteer fire department together and spent many hours after meetings talking about the “kids” and other things. I really enjoyed my time that was spent with him. It sounds that he stayed very active after you left Bluffs, Illinois. May God add blessings to your family.
We thank the Lord for Charlie and his friendship and partnership in the gospel at Cooperstown while we were at Zion Lutheran Brethren Church! Dear Johnson family, may the Lord keep you in his grace. We trust that the time of grief will be filled with a strong sense of God’s promises. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” – love, from John and Pat Lee
So sorry to read of Pastor Charles Ernest Johnson passing. He was always a friendly pastor and enjoyed his Sermons and Talking to him also. And he rooted for a great baseball team in the Chicago Cubs. I’ll be Praying for the family as they go through this very sad time. But they will meet again in The Heavenly Place that The Lord has prepare for us.