Soldier, 17, Succumbs

Earl William Johnsen Dies Of Rheumatic Fever In Vets Hospital

Earl William Johnsen, 17, a private in the Army Air Corps and former Washington and Kennard youth, died Monday at the Veterans’ Hospital in Lincoln. The youth was stricken with pneumonia shortly after enlisting last March and later contracted rheumatic fever.

Confined to the post hospital at the San Antonio, Tex. Air base, young Johnsen was given his honorable discharge June 20. After going home, his illness returned and he entered the Lincoln hospital.

Funeral services were held yesterday at 2 p.m. at the Campbell Mortuary here. The Rev. Sidney L. McCaig of First Methodist church officiated, and burial was in Prairie View Cemetery near Washington, Nebr.

Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Christian Johnsen, the youth was born at Washington Jan. 19, 1930. He attended the Washington and Kennard schools. Last spring he moved to Omaha with his parents and attended Technical high school until his enlistment Mar. 7.

Surviving young Johnsen are his parents, of Omaha; two brothers, Master Sgt. Aaron J. Johnsen of Fort Riley, Kans., who was a prisoner of the Japanese during the late war, and Lawrence E. Johnsen of Omaha; a sister, Mrs. Floyd Wiseley (Helen) of Decatur, Ia.; a nephew, Walter Hugh Wiseley; and a niece, Rebecca Johnsen.

July 16, 1947

Rites For Earl Johnson Held July 16th

Funeral services were held at the Campbell Mortuary yesterday (Wednesday) for Earl Johnson, seventeen, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Christian Johnson of Omaha who died at the Veteran’s Hospital in Lincoln last Sunday evening. (12:20 a.m. the 14th was handwritten on the obituary)

The youth has attended the Washington and Kennard schools and later enlisted in the army from which he had received his discharge July 4th.

Earl is survived by two brothers, Aaron, of Fort Riley, Kansas, and Lawrence of Omaha and one sister, Mrs. Floyd Wisely, of Decatur, Iowa.

Burial was made at the Prairie View Cemetery near Washington. (handwritten was S Bk 23 P 18)

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~