Funeral services for 75-year-old Marvin “Marv” Gene Johnson of Windom, Minnesota, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, September 26, 2015, at the First Baptist Church in Windom. The church is located at 450 3rd Avenue.
Visitation will be on Friday, September 25, 2015, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at LaCanne Family Funeral Service in Windom, located at 2280 6th Avenue. A second visitation will be at the church the day of the funeral service from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Interment will be in Memory Gardens in Windom.
On Tuesday, September 22, 2015, Marv was airlifted to the Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he passed away later that day.
Marvin “Marv” Gene Johnson was born on October 14, 1939, on the home farm place south of Lamberton, Minnesota, the youngest son of Gilbert Sr. and Luella (Solater) Johnson. Marvin grew up on that farm and attended country school District #44 and Lamberton Public High School. Following high school, he worked at the Toro Company in Windom.
On June 17, 1961, Marv was united in marriage to Diane Corbin in Jeffers, Minnesota and following their marriage, they lived in the city of Windom for six years and then moved to a home on the outskirts of Windom, where they raised their three children, Debra, Scott and Brent.
Following his employment at the Toro Company, Marvin put his apparent mechanical skills to work at the Ford dealership in Windom until 1968 when he went into business at the DX station in Windom with his brother Truman.
His love of cars and mechanical talents went beyond his job. He partnered with several guys in a stock car “4X” and traveled to different race tracks in the area and he also drove in many demolition derbies at the county fairs in the area.
In 1976 he went on his own and built an auto repair shop, Johnson’s Auto Service, with two employees, adding a third employee later in life. He became a successful businessman over the next 39 years until the present time. Honesty and integrity were Marvin’s goal in business. His wife Diane did the bookkeeping. He had heart problems with three open heart surgeries during his lifetime, but he was a hardworking man, who never gave up, and always took time for his family, whom he loved dearly.
As a family, they enjoyed camping and were able to travel throughout the entire United States. They also did bicycling on the many bike trails in the area. He loved fishing, deer and turkey hunting and golfing with his sons and friend Don Jackson.
He received Christ as his Savior in 1972 and was later baptized and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Windom and served as an usher for many years and enjoyed helping others.
He was a member of the Windom Volunteer Fire Department for 23 years and served as one of the truck captains during that time and retired from the Department in 1994. For business and community service he received the Mayor’s Medal of Honor in 2000 at an award ceremony.
Marv was preceded in death by his father, Gilbert; his mother, Luella and one infant brother, Gordon.
Survivors include his wife, Diane; children, Deb (Bob) Alt of Apple Valley, Minnesota, Scott (Rachel) of Chadron, Nebraksa and Brent (LaDonna) of Platteville, Wisconsin; six grandchildren, Cassie (Rohnie) Sykes, Avery, Allie, Corbin, Fletcher and Barret; four great-grandchildren, Harper, Peyton, Cameron and Jordyn and two brothers, Gilbert, Jr. of Silver Bay, Minnesota and Truman of Mountain Lake, Minnesota.