Darwin Johnson

Darwin Johnson age 90, of Springfield, MN died on January 31, 2022, at the Sleepy Eye Hospital.
Visitation will be on Friday, February 4, 2022, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Sturm Funeral Home, Springfield Chapel and will continue on Saturday from 9:30 am until 10:30 am at the St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Evan, MN. Service will be held at the St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Evan on Saturday at 10:30 am.
The clergy will be Pastor Rebecca Krogstad. Interment will be at the Brookville-Dannebod Cemetery in Sleepy Eye, MN.
Arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home in Springfield, MN. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.

Darwin Jerome Johnson was born on March 25, 1931, to Olaf and Alice (Beilke) Johnson at home in rural Sleepy Eye. He attended country school across the road from the family farm through 8th grade and then graduated from Sleepy Eye High School in 1949. Darwin played baseball in high school and for the Sleepy Eye Indians Amateur league. On August 20, 1956, Darwin married Carol Jensen at St. Matthews in Evan. They lived and farmed near Evan from 1957 to 1977 until moving to the Jensen family farm in rural Springfield. In 2005, Darwin and Carol moved to Springfield. He was a member of St. Matthew’s Church in Evan where he worked as the janitor and served on the church council. Darwin also served on the Brookville Dannebod Cemetery Board and Leavenworth Baseball Board. For 22 years, Darwin worked at Sturm Funeral Homes. He was a wonderful and loving husband, father, grandpa, and great grandpa. All the kids loved Grandpa Whitey and being at the farm especially going to the haybarn. He loved old-time music, watching baseball, and going to sporting events of his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife Carol of 65 years; children – Phil (Debbie) Johnson of Chamberlain, SD, Kahla (Tim) Petersen of Springfield, Karen (Glen) Solarz of St. Cloud, and Diane (Darren) Haugen of Comfrey; grandchildren and great grandchildren – Dan (Angela) Johnson and children Dakota, Bryce, and Reese, Matt (Shantel) Johnson and son Grayson, Mike (Kaylea) Johnson and children Sutton and Everly, Jeff (Anna) Petersen and son Carter, Amy (Michael) Irlbeck and daughter Ruby, Heidi (Shane) Steffl and daughter Rosie and blessed event of twins in June, Ryan (Ashley) Solarz and daughter Lyla, Adam Solarz, Sara (Ryan) Sowada, Dylan Haugen, and Deni Haugen; sister Judy (Mike) Sandmann of Franklin; niece – Teresa (Dan) Hensch and nephew – Brent (Jody) Sandmann. Darwin was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Robert and David; and father and mother-in-law Leonard and Grace Jensen.