Lögberg-Heimskringla - 29.04.1994, Blaðsíða 6

6 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 29. apríl 1994
Larry Johnson, Sr. Citizen of the Year
By Donna Maxwell
SELKIRK - Every so often, you’ll
catch Larry Johnson Sr. relaxing
in his favorite chair, enjoying
the warmth of the sun as it shines
through the window into his home.
But more often than not you’ll
catch a glimpse of Larry as he darts
from board meeting to committee
meeting and every other meeting in
between.
Johnson was named Citizen of the
Year for 1993 and the lengthy list of
his volunteer activities alone is reason
enough for bestowing the honor upon
him.
“It sounds like a lot when you
wrap it all in one,” Johnson said dur-
ing an interview from his home last
week.
“But we’ve had a good life and felt
like we should put something back
into the community.”
Johnson’s good life began 65 years
ago in Riverton where he lived and
attended' school until the end of grade
11. He moved in with a relative in
Stonewall then and took his grade 12
there.
Immediately following his gradua-
tion he taught school at Hecla Isiand
for one year with a teaching permit.
“They were short of teachers then.
A permit allowed you to teach for one
year,” he said, adding that a minimum
education of grade 11 or 12 was
required.
Johnson moved to Ontario after
that brief teaching stint and worked as
at everything from a camp foreman at
Abitibi to a police officer in Timmins.
It was there that he met the woman he
would marry. He and Edith were mar-
ried in Timmins and this past
September celebrated their 40th wed-
ding anniversary there with many of
the people who were at their wedding.
In 1962 the Johnsons moved back
to Manitoba and by 1970 Larry was
teaching at the high school. He had
taken two years of teacher training at
Red River Community College and,
while teaching days at the high
school, obtained his degree at night
school at the University of Manitoba.
“I was taking five courses a year at
night school,” he said.
“I wanted to get them out of the
way.”
He retired from teaching full time
in 1988, but he’s managed to keep a
fairly high profile at the Comp anyway
by substituting and teaching RRCC
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night courses there. He’s currently on
a break from teaching, but he’s not
sure how long it will last.
“I’ve stopped for the winter but I
think they’re trying to talk me into
coming back,” he laughed.
Over the years Johnson has volun-
teered his services to the Selkirk and
District Chamber of Commerce, the
Selkirk and District Hospital Board,
the Manitoba Health Organization,
the Interlake Health Network, the
Selkirk Community Library Board,
the Selkirk and District Big Brothers-
Big Sisters, the Selkirk Arts Festival,
the Heart and Stroke Foundation, a
staff committee at the high school,
and he is a member of the local
Icelandic National League.
Johnson is very casual about his
devotion to community life, and sees
it as no big effort to pitch in where
needed.
“Selkirk is a community with a lot
to offer,” he said.
“The fabric of the community is
enhanced by the people who volun-
teer their services.”
Johnson has always enjoyed travel-
ling and may use his temporary winter
hiatus to get away in the motor home
and see a bit of the world. But, if that
doesn’t happen, he won’t be upset.
“We do travel a lot. But we’re quite
content here — the winters don’t faze
us.”
Johnson’s involvement with so
many committees has given him a
unique view of the town as it has
grown over the years. And while many
changes have taken place, he sees
them as positive.
“It’s still the nice quiet town that
we moved into 20 years ago,” he said.
“But it’s nice to see progress. I
think the town has progressed.”
Selkirk’s distance from Winnipeg
allows people to enjoy the benefits of
rural living without being totally iso-
lated, Johnson said.
“I like to think we have the best of
both worlds. We’re rural, yet close
enough to the city.”
Johnson has three children —
Larry Jr., Patsy and Kathy — and four
grandchildren who keep him busy.
‘We’re very fortunate. They live
close by and we see them quite often.”
Keeping up with the kids is easy for
Johnson though, who maintains an
active lifestyle through walking and
old time dancing whenever he and
Edith can. And neither of them have
any plans to slow down.
“Age is really up here,” he said
pointing to his head.
“One doesn’t have time to age.”
SELKIRK JOURNAL
\ 1 r, — Betel Home Foundation - Gimli Chapel Fund ^
1 1 1 1 Emest & Carolyn Stefanson, Gimli, MB ..$1,000.00
In Memory ofLoa Alfred Dilla Narfason, Gimli, MB $20.00
1 1 In Memory of Stefan Holm (of Monrovia, Califomia) Dilla Narfason, Gimli, MB $20.00
1 1 1 In Memoiy of Gudmundur (Jim) Peterson Gordon & Joyce Peterson, Winnipeg, MB $50.00
i N* 4
Betel Home Foundation - Building & Memorial Fund
Mrs. Petronella Shumilak, East Selkirk, MB................$25.00
Lloyd & Lois Martin, Regina, SK...........................$50.00
Valur & Valerie Blondahl, Delta, BC.......................$200.00
In Memory of Olga Orzech
Mrs. B. Rogers, Vancouver, BC...........................$25.00
In Memoiy of Margaret Bjornsson
Rose & Joe Carkal, Gimli, MB............................$10.00
Doris Reopelle, North Dakota, USA.......................$5.00