George Raymond Johnson was born on August 26, 1921 at Kipling, SK to John and Ingeborg Johnson, the youngest of seven siblings in his father’s first family. His mother died when he was just seven months old, so George went to live on a neighbouring farm with his Aunt Martha and Uncle Eric Johanson until he was six years old, then returned home to go to school. Meanwhile his father had married again, this time to Hildur Sundquist and had four more children, so George grew up on his father’s farm with his ten brothers and sisters in the Highland district just north of Kipling.

When his oldest brother, Walter, died in 1936, George quit school to take his place on the farm until 1941 when he was called into the army to fight in the Second World War. Upon his discharge in 1946, at the end of the war, he returned home to the farm. George married the love of his life, Selma Fredlund, on October 21, 1947, and together they went farming on their own about a mile just northwest of Percival. The early years were spent farming with horses; George was good with horses but eventually gas tractors and later diesel tractors took over, as well as self-propelled swathers and combines in place of binders and threshing machines. It was hard work, but God blessed their marriage, and together they raised their seven children, three sons and four daughters, on the farm. After 54 years of continuous farming at Percival, the farm was sold in the year 2000, and George finally retired.

Besides farming, George had a keen interest in gospel music, an interest that he passed on to his children. He possessed a good singing voice, could sing harmony and played the guitar and violin fairly well so was frequently involved in special numbers with choirs, quartets, trios and duets. George loved to attend southern gospel concerts in Regina and took in the National Quartet Convention at Red Deer, AB nine times.

George will be remembered for his easygoing good nature, his faith in God, his personal integrity and his love for his family and gospel music. He will be greatly missed.

George was predeceased by his parents, John and Ingeborg; his stepmother, Hildur; his beloved wife, Selma; five brothers, Walter, Allan, Albert, Reuben and Donald; and three sisters, Irene, Elsie and Ruth. He leaves to cherish his memory: two sisters, Ellen (Haglund) and Carol Lynn (Parker); sons Daryl, Leland and Merlyn (Diane); daughters Lorraine, Olivia (Bill) Tarr, Trilla (Bruce) Wood and Pamela (Don) Bentz; grandchildren Jonathan (Emily) Tarr, Angela (Joel) Wells, Nathan (Marcelle) Tarr, Christina (Kenny) Lloyd, Michelle (James) Verner, Philip Tarr, Rachel Tarr, Joseph Tarr, Janice (Chad) Hearn, Chantelle (Chris) Kehn, Curtis (Lindsay) Wood, Tiffany Wood, Jesse Bentz, Justin Bentz and Kyle (Kayla) Johnson; great-grandchildren Eden, Asia and Jael Wells, Noah, Jacob, Cian and William Verner, Hayden and Alayna Lloyd, Ethan Hearn and Mason Kehn; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and good friends.