Wendell E. Johnson

Wendell Eyre Johnson, 69, McCammon passed on Aug 13, surrounded by his family.  He was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, a fast growing cancer brain tumor the end of June.

Wendell was born in Lovell, Wyoming on March 9,1947, the youngest son of John Johnson and Cora Eyre.  When he was 5 the family moved to Anaconda, Montana.  He graduated from Anaconda High School in 1965.  He was able to attend his 50th year high school reunion last summer. He worked underground for the Anaconda Company in Butte, Mt.

He enlisted in the United States Navy Seabees before he was drafted in 1966. He served 2 tours of duty in Vietnam.  His battalion constructed communication towers on Monkey Mountain and bridges.  He was in the siege of Con Thien just south of the DMZ with North Vietnam.  He was released in April 1968.

He worked for the Anaconda Company driving the large Cat dump trucks in the Berkley Copper Mine pit after returning from Vietnam.  He used the GI benefits to help pay for his college.  He received a Bachelors of Science degree in Geological Engineering in 1974 from the College of Mineral Science and Technology in Butte.

Also in April of 1974 he married Linda Rossmiller.  She was going to college in Butte. Together they started his working career in Nevada.  Wendell did not like the heat and missed the pine trees.

In 1977 he started working for Stauffer Chemical as a Mine Engineer at Leefe, Wyoming phosphate mine.  He lived in Dingle for 1 ½ years. Then he moved to Soda Springs to work in the phosphate industry at Wooly Valley through different owners for 24 years.  When he was 50 the mine was bought and the upper management was retired.

Wendell found a job for 9 years at the BLM office in Pocatello.  The Environmental Impact reports he wrote for the government he was now able to read and ask for improvements. In 2002, he moved to a house overlooking the Marsh Creek Valley, between Inkom and McCammon.

He has been retired for 7 years.  For fun he would spend his time steelhead fishing in the spring and fall.  Once or twice a year he would take a road trip with the camp trailer enjoying the sites of the west. He loved to weld metal and create things.

Wendell was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints serving in many positions.  He had a strong testimony of the gospel and gave that to his children.

He is survived by his wife Linda of McCammon, his children, Sarah and husband Jeremy Olsen of Arizona City, Az; Eric and wife Jeremy Johnson of Idaho Falls; and Mary Ann Johnson of Salt Lake City, 4 grandchildren, Brother Bob Johnson of Tucson, Az, a sister Myrna Walker of Billings, Mt, and several nieces and nephews .  He was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers Jack and Jim.

Funeral Services will be on Saturday, Aug 20th at noon with a viewing starting at 10:30 at the McCammon LDS church building 403W 16th St McCammon.  Manning- Wheatley Funeral Chapel is taking care of the funeral arrangements.