Gary Bruce Johnson

Gary Bruce Johnson, 69, passed away on March 14, 2016 at his La Junta home with his wife and sister by his side. He was born on September 1, 1946 in Colorado Springs to Harry J. & Evelyn E. (Bonner) Johnson. He married Kathryn Miller on October 15, 1984 in La Junta, Colorado where they have lived their married life except for a short time spent in Louisiana.
 
Gary was the 4th child born to Harry & Evelyn Johnson of rural Hugo, CO. He was a premature baby weighing 3lbs and 3 oz. and spent 9 weeks in the hospital in Colorado Springs. He came home to the ranch after the blizzard in November of 1946, making it impossible to get to the house due to the roads being covered in snow so his uncle Glen Preston brought him to the house by horseback and he was dropped in a snowbank, he wasn’t injured.
 
Gary had a love for horses and the cowboy way of life. He enjoyed maintenance work as well. He spent his life as a cowboy at numerous ranches throughout Colorado and Oklahoma and also spend time being a maintenance person in Colorado and Louisiana. He enjoyed doing mechanical work for family and friends and neighbors.    
 
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Kathryn of the La Junta home; sons, Ronnie (Chardell) Johnson of Stratton, CO; Danny (Traci) Wilson of Delaware; daughters, Ka McPherson of Lamar, CO and Brenda (Ray) Robertson of Somerville, TN; special person he considered as a son, Jeremy King of La Junta; sisters, Dorothy (Paul) Ragains of Colorado Springs; Frances (Delbert) Mattson of rural Hugo, Colorado; brother, Jerome (Cathy) Johnson of Loveland, CO; 15 grandchildren and over 100 nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Jim, sister, Linda, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and wife’s parents and two sister-in-law’s and two brother-in-law’s.
 
Gary had accepted the Lord as his Lord and Savior and is now happy riding the range with Jesus.
 
Those wishing to do so may make memorial donations to charity of choice direct or through the funeral home.
 
Online condolences may be made at www.peacockfh.com.  Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
 

As per Gary’s request cremation has taken place and the family will host a potluck dinner in Gary’s memory on Saturday, March 26, 2016 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Las Animas High School.