K. F. JOHANSEN, FORMER FLORIST, DIED WEDNESDAY

Injuries in Fall Believed Cause of Early Death

Blair and surrounding community was shocked Wednesday at the announcement of the death of Kris F. Johansen, former florist and Superintendent of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Old People’s Home. Mr. Johansen had been ill about two weeks, his condition growing steadily worse until his death at the Lutheran Hospital in Omaha at 11 o’clock Wednesday, November 10th.

Until early this summer he had been the operator of the Johansen Flower Shop, and he and Mrs. Johansen had made a host of friends in this community.

Kristian F. Johansen was born in Moen, Denmark on December 10, 1887. He came to America in 1907, settling at Plainview, Nebraska. Here he was employed as a farm laborer, later going to South Dakota for about a year, then returning to Plainview where on March 3, 1915 he was married to Miss Lillie Johnson.

The couple lived at Plainview until 1928 when they moved to Fremont where they lived until 1931, being engaged in the florist and nursery business. From 1931 until 1943 Mr. Johansen was caretaker of the Frank Woods estate at Lincoln. In 1943 the Johansens moved back to Fremont where they were engaged in the florist business until they came to Blair in the fall of 1945 and established the Johansen Flower Shop.

This business was sold to Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Graves in March, 1948, and on April 1 Mr. and Mrs. Johansen began the operation of Good Shepherd Lutheran Old Peoples’ Home in this city. Under the Johansens the Home has made remarkable progress.

While helping with remodeling of a building on the grounds of the Good Shepherd Home this past summer, Mr. Johansen suffered a fall from a scaffold which may or may not have been a contributing factor to the illness which brought about his death. About two weeks ago he began to complain of violent headaches. Last Saturday he was taken to the Blair Hospital where he remained until Sunday evening when he was removed to the Lutheran Hospital in Omaha. His condition became increasingly worse until he passed away at 11 o’clock a.m. on November 10.

Mr. Johansen leaves to mourn his passing his wife, four children, Ivan of Menlo Park, California; Mrs. James F. Hansen of Blair; Mrs. Jack Obbink of Lincoln; and Mrs. Mark Barbeau of Belmont, California; six grandsons; three sisters and one brother living in Denmark; and one foster brother, Peter Olsen of Lincoln.

Mr. Johansen was at the time of his death, in addition to being superintendent of Good Shepherd Home, the president of First Lutheran Church.

The funeral service will be held at First Lutheran Church on Friday afternoon, November 12, at 2 o’clock. Burial will be in Blair cemetery with Bendorf service in charge.

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

Find a Grave Memorial #115589207