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Dennis Johnson "Migizii" (Eagle)

Dennis Johnson "Migizii" (Eagle)

October 24, 1941 - August 22, 2019

Dennis Johnson, 77, of Ponemah, MN, whose Ojibwe name is Migizii (Eagle), of the Pine Marten clan entered the spirit world on August 22, 2019 at his daughter's home in Blaine, MN.

Traditional Indian Services will be held at 10 AM on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at the Ponemah Boys and Girls Club in Ponemah, Minnesota with Spiritual Leader Zac Early. A wake will begin on Tuesday, August 27th at 2 PM at the Ponemah Boys and Girls Club in Ponemah and will continue until the time of the interment. Interment will be at the Family Burial Grounds in Ponemah.

Active pallbearers will be Dennis's grandsons and nephews.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Dennis's grandsons, nephews and former Ponemah EMTs Dave Clark, Ed Dow, Dan Johnson, Roy Nelson, Myron Kingbird, Ralph Spears, Deanna Lasley and Eugene Perkins.

Dennis was born on October 24, 1941 in Red Lake, MN, the son of Arthur and Evelyn (Kingbird) Johnson. He grew up in Ponemah and attended schools at Ponemah Elementary and Red Lake High School, graduating in 1959. He enlisted with the US Navy in May of 1963 and was honorably discharged the same year. He attended St. Paul Technical College and later studied nursing at Bemidji Vo-Tech. He worked in bridge construction for several years in Minnesota and the Dakotas, as an orderly at North Country Regional Hospital, as an EMT with Ponemah Ambulance, building houses with Red Lake Builders and commercial fishing on Red Lake. He retired in 2006. Dennis married Janis Kaye (Harsch) Sovde on December 15, 1990 in Bemidji, MN. He sang at powwows with the Whitefish Bay Singers in the 70's -80's and followed the powwow trail all over the United States. He enjoyed hunting/fishing, crossword puzzles, woodworking, MN Twins Baseball, Sudoku, powwows, listening to powwow music, traveling, beading and telling inappropriate dad jokes.

Dennis is survived by his daughter, Teri (Damian) Reiten of Blaine, MN; son, Todd Johnson of Crystal, MN; sister, Leila (Mark) Johnson of Columbia Heights, MN; 8 grandchildren, Evelyn (Jaret) Baron of Menomonie, WI, Evan Johnson of Fridley, MN, Anthony Johnson of New Brighton, MN, Joshua Reiten of Blaine, MN, Nathan Johnson of Minneapolis, MN, Timari Johnson of St. Paul, MN, Keith Johnson of Maplewood, MN and Samuel Reiten of Blaine, MN; 5 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur & Evelyn (Kingbird) Johnson; wife, Janis Kaye in 2006; daughter, Tammy Jo Johnson in 2007; brother, Everett Johnson; sister, Alfreda Stillday in 2016; and mother of his children, Kathryn (Leslie) Johnson in 2014.

 

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