JM Johnson

JM Johnson Obituary  

(April, 29, 1927 to August, 18, 2022) 

 JM Johnson was Born on April 27th, 1927 in Pleasant Grove, Dallas, Texas during the great depression.  He was raised in Pleasant Grove on 4 acres with a creek running through it when Pleasant Grove was a small rural community outside Dallas.  The original home is still there today.  The family kept a cow for milk and butter and about 20 chickens for eggs and meat.  They also had a small garden which was kept for fresh vegetables.  JM always let us know how good he was at milking cows.  He also always loved the country and doing yard work.  His dad owned a small electric company named Johnson Electric Company that struggled during the depression but did great during World War II.  His dad passed away in 1952.  His mom lived until she was 90 years old. 

He graduated High school in 1944 at the age of 17 from Pleasant Grove High school.  He attended NTAC, a junior college in Arlington, Tx.  In September he did not sign up again because he could not make up his mind on what he wanted to do.  He knew he would be drafted at 18 to the army and he did not want to do that.  He was working part time for his dad in the electrical business and on implulse went to the recruiting office in down town Dallas and joined the Navy.  Since he was 17 he had to have his dad’s permission which he received.  His mother was not happy about that.  During his time in the Navy, he went to boot camp in San Diego, and then was sent to Gulfport Mississippi for Electrical School.  He started school in January 1945 and graduated in June 1945 and was sent to San Francisco and then he shipped out to Okinawa where he had to live in a Tent.  A few days later they heard the atomic bomb had been dropped on the Japanese City of Hiroshima.  A few days later he was assigned to a ship called the “USS Antares”.  While on board this ship, he went to Korea and China. In 1946 he was sent to Galveston Texas and discharged from the Navy. 

After the Navy he enrolled in SMU studying Business Administration.  In 1949 during his junior year his father owned Johnson Electric Co and had a debilitating stroke so he began running the business.  He had already started doing business with McFadden and Miller who built buildings for Trammell Crow which was a huge business venture for all. So, he quit school and worked to try and keep the business going.  His father passed away in 1952.    The business not only survived, but became very successful.  

During this time, he married his first wife Jo Evelyn Christopherson and had his 4 Children.  During this time he built a home in Farmers Branch on .1/2 acre where he raised his family.  During that time he purchased a cabin in Red River, New Mexico where he spent almost every summer fishing and hiking.  After that he purchased an airplane and learned to fly which he loved very much.   During this time, he also purchased 2 acres on the Henry Stuart Airport which is now the Addison Airport from Trammel Crow and relocated the Johnson Electric offices to this site.  He built a total of 3 buildings between 1974 and 1984 including a building that had 3 airplane hangers.  During that period, he and Jo Evelyn were divorced. 

When he was 65 years old, he semi retired from Johnson Electric and turned control over to a partner and moved to Red River, New Mexico and bought a hotel called Terrace Towers Lodge.  He had met Diana in Dallas and she moved with him to Red River.  They were married in 1993. During that time his hobbies were Elk hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, snow skiing, hiking, and camping.   Many friends, clients and family visited and stayed at the hotel throughout the years.  He turned the hotel over to a person to manage and they began traveling the world.  They had a great time.   

Eventually they sold the Hotel which is still there today and they built their dream home in Angel Fire, New Mexico and named it “Miracle Ranch”.   It was a gorgeous home over 4,000 square feet overlooking the Angel Fire Ski Valley.  During these years many clients and family visited them there too.  They continued to travel, and have fun in the mountains.  His family spent many holidays there with them.  In his late 80’s he and Diana decided to move back to Country Place in Carrollton and retire from mountain life.  He still had the desire to stay active and continued to travel which he did to Costa Rico, the Panama Canal  and New Zealand.  In his later years his memory began to fade and dementia began to set in.  He passed away in a memory home on August 18, 2022. 

 He is survived by his wife Diana, and 4 Children (Jency, Mark, Chris, and Joel), 4 grandchildren and 6 Great Grandchildren.