Fred A. Johnson, age 95, of Lenexa, KS, (formerly of Grainfield/Oakley) passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, December 9, 2020.

Fred was born on April 15, 1925 at Grainfield to Fred A. Johnson and Veronica (Vedder) Johnson.  His father died when Fred was age 8 during the Great Depression.  He completed the 4 ^th and 5 ^th grades in one year and studied one year in a pre-seminary program in Conception, MO before moving to Hays with his family.  Upon graduating from Hays High School in 1942, at the age of 17.  He eventually enlisted in the Army as a paratrooper in the 82 ^nd Airborne Division, 517 ^th Parachute Combat Team serving in France.  After returning home from the war, he met and married Marilyn T. Adler on June 11, 1947 at Hays.  They were married for over 73 years and raised two sons on the family farm north of Grainfield.  Playing cards was a regular occurrence.  Fred was a life-long farmer, and like most hard-working farmers, he was a "jack of all trades".

He and Marilyn traveled to numerous foreign countries and took many cruises, some with their children and grandchildren.  He piloted his own twin engine Piper airplane for years and was an accomplished skier on the Colorado slopes.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, of Lenexa; two sons:  Fred A. Johnson, Jr. (Mary) of Wichita and Dr. Casey T. Johnson (Patty) of Shawnee.  He leaves four grandchildren:  Nicole M. Johnson (Zachary Arnold) of Kansas City, MO, Bridget T. Falk (Ben) of Denver, CO, Laurie Ray of Lawrence and Austin C. Johnson, of Eugene, OR; and four great-grandchildren:  Max Ray, Bryce Arnold, Dominic Arnold, and Sloane Arnold.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, John Johnson; and sisters:  Agnes Johnson, Emma Boyd, Thelma Zerr, and Bessie Goodgion.

A graveside memorial service open to the public will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at the Grainfield Cemetery with Fr. Luke Thielen officiating.  Fred was a WWII U.S. Army veteran and will receive military honors.  Memorials to St. Agnes Church, Grainfield may be sent in care of Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 221, Oakley, KS  67748.

Immediately following the graveside service, a reception, open to the public, will be held at the St. Joseph School, Oakley, at 2:15 p.m. Memories will be shared and desert and refreshments will be provided.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www. skradskifh@msn.com or www.kennedykosterfh.com.

Sign the Online Guestbook at www.kennedykosterfh.com.