William Johnson

Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, March 19 at First United Methodist Church for William I. "Bill" Johnson of Lake Arthur, N.M.

Mr. Johnson, 91, passed away Saturday, March 14, 2020 at his home in Cottonwood, with his son and daughter at his side.

Rev. Monty Leavell will officiate at the services with burial to follow at Woodbine Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Jordan Johnson, Brian Johnson, Jared Deason, Cory Forrest, Josh Sellers and Mike Sedillo. Honorary pallbearers will be all past and present employees of Johnson Farms, and farm equipment repairmen.

Visitation will be at Terpening & Son Mortuary on Wednesday beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Bill was born March 1, 1929 in Cottonwood, the son of Isaac Pebbles Johnson and Nora Ann (Strebeck) Johnson.

On March 25, 1950 he was married to Loretta Wells at the First United Methodist Church in Artesia. Rev. R.L. Willingham performed the wedding, and they were married for 64 years. Loretta preceded Bill in death on January 25, 2015. He was also preceded in death by his son Ronny Johnson; brothers Lamar, Herman, George, and Charles Johnson; sisters Lorene Lambert, Mary McCaw, Christine Butler, Helen McCaw, Edna Utterback, Oleta Cooper, Oneta Brown, and Elizabeth Butler.

Bill was a member of the First United Methodist Church. He was a lifelong farmer and rancher in Cottonwood. Best alfalfa hay in the Valley. He grew a variety of crops including alfalfa, chile, milo, millet, corn, cotton, wheat, watermelons, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and even sunflowers. He enjoyed collecting and restoring John Deere Tractors along with collecting pocket knives. Bill loved spending time with his family.

He is survived by his son Jimmy Johnson and wife Sylvia of Cottonwood; daughter Jeanette Johnson; sister Cleo Gossett and husband Leroy of Ephrata, WA; grandchildren Jordan Johnson and wife Andrea, Brian Johnson and wife Aimee, Jessica Sedillo and husband Mike of Albuquerque, N.M., Amanda Deason and husband Jared, Andrea Sellers and husband Josh, and Angela Forrest and husband Cory of Roswell, N.M.; great-grandchildren Henry and Arden Johnson, Piper and Peyton Johnson, Lily and Ash Sedillo, Jayden, Josiah, and Jonah Deason, Zander Sellers, Kyla, Kayden, Matthew, and Maddison Forrest; brothers-in-law Bobby Wells and wife Patty of Jal, N.M., and Thurman Wells; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church or a charity of your choice.