Lögberg-Heimskringla - 23.09.2005, Blaðsíða 16

16 * Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday 23 September 2005
Music became a second career
Leo Johnson keeps people ’s intruments in tune
Gwen Mann
He is so lucky; he is still
able to work.” Leo
Johnson’s mother, Joa
Johnson, said this many times
during her life. As a lady who
worked extremely hard for the
greater part of her life, she real-
ized that to be able to work you
must have good health. Fortu-
nately, Leo is one of the people
able to work during his retired
years.
Leo’s patemal grandpar-
ents were Bjorn Johnson and
Ólafía Stefánsdóttir, who came
to Churchbridge in 1886, and
his matemal grandparents were
Eyjolfur Hinrikson and Ingib-
jörg Bjömsdóttir, who came in
1903.
Leo was certainly familiar
with work. While still in high
school, Leo took on the farm-
ing responsibilities of running
the family farm with his moth-
er upon the early death of his
father due to prostate cancer.
Leo decided to stay on the farm
rather than pursue further edu-
cation after high school.
Several years after the
death of his father, Leo mar-
ried his wife Mildred (Antosh)
and farmed on land adjacent
to the family farm. They took
on ventures different from the
usual farming techniques of the
time. For example, they started
a turkey hatchery and sold
young poults to people in the
surrounding area.
When they retired from
the farm and
equipment and proceeded to
provide this service to people
in Saskatchewan and Mani-
toba.
While engaged in piano
tuning, he realized people also
wanted to re-
moved to
Churchbridge,
Leo was not
content to take
life easy. He
took a piano
tuner’s course
from Orlando,
Florida, wrote
eight examinations and re-
ceived his certificate in 1982.
He ordered all the required
Leo knew where to
obtain all the
necessary pieces,
whether they were the
nice ivory keys or the
strings and hammers
Now in print: Hardfiskur & Skyr
Memories and stories of an Amma and Editor
Lillian Vilborg
Lillian Vilborg
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HáFdVmlattv
8f öIqíj?
t.nUdn Vilbofa
store old pia-
nos. So Leo
built a shop
behind the
Churchbridge
house so that
he could strip
vanish, stain
and spray to
his hearts content.
Most pianos that need re-
finishing also require some me-
chanical parts. Leo knew where
to obtain all the necessary piec-
es, whether they were the nice
ivory keys or the strings and
hammers. If you want to know
the quality of a piano, just ask
Leo.
Moving a piano is not an
easy procedure. Leo developed
a dolly that enabled him to tip
the pianos over and roll them
wherever he wanted them to
go, using winches to pull them
onto trucks, possible even if he
was by himself.
There are many pianos that
have come back to life under
his loving care. One piano fell
PHOTO: GWEN MANN
Leo Johnson plays his saw.
off the back of a truck during
a move. Everyone thought it
was finished, but on close in-
spection and realizing the qual-
ity, Leo took the piano and
restored it. A baby grand was
badly scorched in a house fire.
This piano is now used to teach
many young people by his
daughter in Birch Hills.
Music seems to come easi-
ly to Leo. He and Mildred have
sung for many years. Leo can
give a mini concert any time
you visit. And if you like con-
struction with your music, then
he will play his saw, as pictured
above.
Aitbf Kafen Jolianasíon
(akí Mrs- Lipfon) ami jtö'Y trlLi
Suc t’rocfof flkc uj katk fo fiu: luni.li
coiinfer Jf Mrj. I.ipfon's R.jniurtnf.
I*art of WoLlcy foiUoreanc! a UminarL
for crVcr )5 yc3ra Mrc I jnfon s vví11 Ik
rrincmkriJ fkis þll íkou-ii Karcn’s
liafiks anci Vuc's sforifs.
Lof-y-f!mc rcsuJcnfof Wolsdcy,
3nt! parf-fiinc scrvcr, nakcr, cook anJ ,!i\!i
u-askcr at Mr*. I.ipfon's rcsfaurJnf. Suc
írÍL síorus of [ransjoím liion imj tliangc,
callmg on fkc mcmortcs 4>[ inft'rcjflnj;
cliariefcrs anJ cusfomcrs-
Join Karen & S ue
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