- Date Of Death: March 20, 2004
- State: Minnesota
Wilfred A. Johnson, 93, Grand Forks, ND, formerly of Warren, MN, died on Saturday, March 20, 2004 at Valley Eldercare.
Wilfred A. Johnson was born on Feb. 2, 1911, on a farm near Osnabrock, ND. In 1930, he graduated from Park River Agriculture College (high school) and worked on the family farm for 2 years. He graduated from Minot State Teacher’s College with a BA degree in 1936. Wilfred taught in Des Lacs, ND, 1936-1939, and Bisbee, ND, 1939-40. Wil moved to Wishek in 1940, as band director where he met his bride, Harriet Borgen. In 1943, he accepted a teaching job in Warren, MN and began a life-long career as Warren’s Bandman. The Warren bands were well known in the state of Minnesota for earning top ratings in performance. Over the years he received many acknowledgements for his work including election by the Marshall County Fair Board committee to be honored by the Minnesota School Board Association in conjunction with the 1961 Minnesota State Fair. In 1973, Wilfred was selected as Warren’s Teacher of the Year. After 38 years of music teaching, of which 31 were in Warren, he retired in 1974.
