Robert K. Johnson

Robert K. Johnson “Sonny” (Bob) passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2020, in his home, with his family by his side.

Born in Mabel, Minn., to Leonard and Iva (Todd) Johnson on June 10, 1929, he was 91 years young.  Growing up in Mabel he played baseball and basketball and was student council president. He graduated at Mabel High School in 1947. 

Sonny first attended Hamline University, then University of Dubuque until he received his degree at Macalester College in St. Paul.  It was here that he was influenced by a professor to devote his life to world poverty and disadvantages.  He married Joycelyn Onsgard of Spring Grove in 1951 and together had four children.  

After attending Garrett Seminary in Chicago, Sonny became a pastor, serving three different churches in Iowa (Albion, Mallard, and Melborne), which would be the start of his dream. From there he wanted to become a missionary in agriculture in hopes to be assigned to India, where he believed he was most needed. To prepare for this journey he attended Iowa State for a Farming Operations degree. The family followed him to intern with Tracy Farms in Wisconsin on a turkey, dairy, and a hog farm to get agricultural experience. To further his experience he spent time in Nashville at Scarritt Bible College, then on to Drew University in New Jersey, then to Stony Point, New York, for Missionary Orientation. 

While at Stony Point he was called to march with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma in 1965, after the infamous Bloody Sunday.  If the march had white clergymen marching, they were promised police protection so as not to repeat the devastating brutalities of the march two weeks earlier. Eight pastors marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that day but only got as far as The Bridge when the police announced they would no longer be protected. Once again they would never reach Montgomery. Sonny often tells that experience changed his life and would forever glorify the character of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to continue his journey of world change without violence. 

Though India was the hope, the Methodist Missions had a different plan for Sonny. There was an opening in Chile, South America. The family went to Costa Rica for a year to learn Spanish, then to Chile, where both Sonny and Joycelyn taught at agricultural farm boarding schools. Sonny taught agriculture, and Joycelyn taught home economics and family planning. Soon they found themselves reaching out to impoverished mountain areas of Chile, helping farmers improve their crops to yield more food for their families. 

In 1969 Sonny returned to Spring Grove, Minn., for 1½ years and received a degree teaching Civics. His hope was to instill politics in kids to realize their power for change. He too had a secret passion to become a representative or congressperson one day.

In 1973 Sonny left his teaching job in Montevideo and bought an A&W Root Beer stand in Harmony, Minn. He wanted to make a difference in the world through politics and thought moving to an area that knew him would help his cause. Realizing he was a liberal progressive in a conservative community, this task was not going to be easy. He “walked the talk” regardless of stumbling blocks. He would protest wars (was a conscientious objector due to his brother Maynard killed in WWII) through sit-ins and marches at the capital, at the School of the Americas in Georgia, and often in Washington, D.C. He became a county, region, and state DFL delegate who would often write the resolutions for the DFL party. All of his resolutions had a consistent goal; peace, clean environment, and opportunity for all. He was a HUMANIST. After 11 years as the A&W proprietor he settled into a tax service for the community which allowed him more time to attend to politics. 

Most people would come to know him for writing lengthy editorials in local newspapers, participating in local parades distributing political candidate leaflets, knocking door to door, and all his lawn signs and bumper stickers. Sonny was very active in the Southeastern MN Alliance Peacemakers and was a very generous man with his time and money. He gave yearly contributions to over 750 worldwide and local organizations and to political hopefuls to help change the world. He was instrumental in electing many politicians. Though he is no longer here to pursue this passion, he hopes that he has instilled his legacy of compassion in giving to those in need and for people to become more humanitarian. 

Sonny is preceded in death by his parents Leonard and Iva, brothers Maynard and Kenneth, a sister, Arlene; and a daughter, Cheryl. He is survived by his wife Joycelyn of 69 years, his children Maynard (Nancy) Johnson of Winona, Sandy (Dave) Williams of Annandale, and Gary Johnson of Eden Prairie; six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Sonny’s life will be postponed to a time when we can gather at the Harmony Community Center for a luncheon and to hear speakers about Global Warming and Anti-Nuclear Weapons. It was his wish to further educate people about these devastating issues and the impacts they have on our world.