Duane W. Johnson, 88, St. Cloud

January 5, 1935 - July 5, 2023

Duane Walter Johnson, age 88, passed away on July 5, 2023 in St. Cloud MN.

He was born January 5, 1935 in Int’l Falls, MN; son of the late Alf Victor Johnsonand Alice Margaret Lindell.

Duane spent 2 years in the Army in Germany after high school, then earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Bemidji College in 1953. It was here he met his true love Maureen Saxum after seeing “that good looking girl walking so proud” out his window and told his roommates, “I’m going to marry that girl”, and he did in 1953 in Winger MN, Maureen’s hometown. They were married over 60 years until Maureen passed away in 2019.

He was a talented musician, and played in a band in and around the Int’l Falls area before combining those skills and his business degree and opening and operating BJ Music in Int’l Falls for 20 years.

Duane loved his family, close friends, music and a good joke above everything else. He loved his guitar and ukulele and sang and played them from boyhood to old age until his fingers gave out.

He also loved the outdoors, fishing on Rainy Lake, woodworking and forever loved listening to music.

One of his best quotes was “Things always have a way of working out”.

He will be greatly missed by his 4 children: Dave, Susie LeMoine, Doree (Otto) Sturzebecher and Heidi (Brent) Boerger; and his 7 grandchildren and other relatives and friends.

Duane is preceded in death by his wife Maureen; parents Alf and Alice; sister Corky and brother-in-law Max; brother Bud, sister Marvel and brother Rodney; and son-in-law Dave LeMoine.

Private services will be held at a later date.