Kenneth Gordon Johnson, 86, of Belt, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends at the Great Falls Peace Hospice in the late afternoon on January 17th. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 27th at 11:00 a.m. at the Belt Community Church, followed by a reception in the reception hall. Burial of ashes will take place at a later date at the Choteau Cemetery. Croxford Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

 Ken was born in Great Falls, Montana, on April 12, 1931. He grew up on the family homestead out of Belt, and graduated from Belt High School in 1949.

Ken married Barbara “Becky” Joan Mozer, from Choteau, on November 18, 1951. He continued farming in Belt until the family moved to Oregon in 1964. Ken worked for Monsanto as a chemical operator until the family retired to the family homestead in 1986.

Ken became a private pilot after the move to Oregon and loved giving family and friends airplane rides and continued flying until age 81. Ken knew the Lord. He also loved music and playing the accordion with various musicians and different locations in the community. He was passionate about farming and harvested his last wheat crop this past summer. Ken was a very special man who was loved deeply by his family and friends around the world.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Arloine Johnson; his wife, Barbara Johnson in 2011; his son, Ray Johnson in 1995; and his grandson, Eric Hanson in 2017.

He is survived by his special friend, Joanie Burrey of Great Falls; children, Joy Hanson (son-inlaw Richard Hanson) of Oregon, Charlene Johnson of the Netherlands. He is also survived by his grandchildren Andrea Johnson-Gama of Brasil, whom they raised; Trudy Koelstra-Heidrick of Florida; Kirk Koelstra of the Netherlands; and Joe Johnson of Brasil. Ken also is survived by his great-grandchildren, Isabella and Victoria Johnson-Gama of Brasil. 

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