Ben A. Johnson
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5B - August 2, 2012
Ben A. Johnson, 95, Delta,
died July 29, 2011, at his home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday
at Taylor Funeral Home
in Delta.
Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Elmwood
Cemetery in Fruita.
Survivors include one son,
Jerald; two daughters, Linda
Kukal and Claire Diers; one
brother, Clarence; one sister,
Ruby Woodcock; four grandchildren;
and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions to
Hospice & Palliative Care of
Western Colorado, P.O. Box 24,
Delta 81416.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 8A - August 3, 2011
Ben Johnson was born in Provost,
Alberta, Canada July 13,
1916 to Jacob and Lydia Johnson.
He passed away July 29, 2011 at
his home in Delta, CO.
After moving to the Grand
Junction area in 1928, Ben attended
and graduated from the
Appleton School and later attended
Ross Business College.
Ben married Dorothy Eastman on February 16, 1941. Their three
children are Jerald Johnson (Vicki), Linda Kukal (James), Claire
Diers (Gordy).
Ben had a diverse career which included farming, raising horses,
and was a recognized and approved horse show judge, uranium
driller, artist, and teacher. Ben owned and exhibited four National
Champion Appaloosa horses as well as training record setting Appaloosa
race horses. Ben was the longest serving director of the Appaloosa
Horse Club as well as serving as Vice-President for many
years. He and two of his horses, Patchy and Patchy Jr. are in the Appaloosa
Hall of Fame.
In 1975, Ben and Dorothy moved to the eastern slope of Colorado
and lived in La Veta for several years before moving to Trinidad,
CO where he accepted the position of instructor of fine arts at Trinidad
Junior College.
Ben was commissioned to design sculptures by the Appaloosa
Horse Club that were presented as awards. He was commissioned by
the Trinidad Chamber of Commerce to sculpt the Coal Miners Memorial
which sits in the town square. He was commissioned to
sculpt and design the Trinidad Junior College's Trojan mascot which
is on display on the campus.
Ben and Dorothy had been married for nearly 58 years when she
died in 1998.
Ben married Lois Dick in Trinidad in 2002 and they moved to
Delta in 2005 to be near family. Lois died in 2006.
Ben was preceded in death by his parents, Jacob and Lydia;
brother, Raymond; sister, Hanna and granddaughter, Sherri. In addition
to his children, he is survived by four grandchildren, Jonathan,
Jennifer, and Jerimiah Johnson and Audra Diers; six great-grandchildren;
brother, Clarence Johnson; sister, Ruby Woodcock and
several nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, August 6th at 10:00 a.m.
at Taylor Funeral Home in Delta, CO. Graveside services will follow
at 2:00 p.m. at Elwood Cemetery in Fruita, CO.
In lieu of flowers, the family wishes any donations to be made to
Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, P.O. Box 24,
Delta, CO 81416.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral
Service and Crematory.
View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at
taylorfuneralservice.com.
