Dateline - Havre, Montana Dr. Carl Leslie Johnson Carl was a man who lived his dream. He created the family he wanted, the vocation he was passionate for and the recreation he lovedall in the place he thought of as paradise: Montana. This is the story of an exceptional man. He was born July 18, 1926 in Eveleth, Minnesota near the Quetico National Canoe Wilderness, to Carl & Elvira (Kruse) Johnson. He grew up savoring the outdoor life becoming skilled at skiing, ice skating & hockey, snow shoeing, hunting, fishing and canoeing. At the age of 12 he and a buddy spent a week canoeing the Boundary Waters. When his mother was asked about that she said, "He could take care of himself & survive in the wilderness with only a jack knife." This was a foretelling of his adventurous spirit and the life to come. Music was important to him throughout his life. He became a skilled trombone player and vocalist, singing at many weddings, in community choral groups & church. He loved all music types but especially classical music: opera & symphony. His deaf Boy Scout master taught him to finger spell. This came in handy in Montana as deaf people drove miles to be able to "speak" to their pet's vet. At 17 WW II was on and he enlisted Nov 20 1943 in the Air Corps Enlisted Reserve and signed up for air combat crew training. Time went by and he wasn't called up so after high school graduation he enlisted in the army. At that point he was a member of two branches of the service at the same time. Some months later the Air Corps called him up but as the Army already had him, he was discharged from the Air Corps. At this young age his leadership skills were already developing and he was quickly promoted to platoon leader, weapons and drill instructor and he was even called upon to develop tactical field programs. He was honorably discharged as a Staff Sgt. from the army in late 1946. Following his army discharge he learned to fly in an open cockpit plane on skis. This sparked a lifelong love of flying. He added a land and sea rating to his skills in later years and accumulated over 10,000 hours of flight over his lifetime. Carl's post- secondary education began at Eveleth Jr. College, and then continued at the University of Minnesota & the U of M Veterinary School where he graduated in 1954. His first practice was in Litchfield, MN; later he joined Dr. John McKay in Duluth in a mixed practice which included zoo veterinary work. This experience came in handy later on in Cut Bank, MT where his practice often included the unusual. It was in Duluth where he met his future wife, Joan Miller. They met at a ski-wear show where Joan was modeling the newest styles. Carl liked what he saw and proposed to the young RN a mere nine days after they met. They were married March 8, 1958 in Roseau, MN. Carl and Joan were eager to build a family. Daughter Robby (Roberta) arrived in 1959, Ann in 1960, Kurt in 1961, Gregg in 1962 and Kris (Kristine) in 1965. Carl wanted more but Joan thought five was sufficient. The burgeoning young family moved to Montana in May 1959 where he practiced Veterinary Medicine in private practice and later as the Western District State Veterinarian. He practiced veterinary medicine for nearly 50 years. The practice in Cut Bank, MT. was a mixed large and small animal business that was anything but ordinary! We never knew what was going to come through the door. Besides the usual farm animals and pets, over the years he also cared for bison, llamas, chinchillas, wolves, elk, mountain lions, bears, skunks, wolverines, badgers, parrots and even a monkey once. That experience with the zoo animals early in his career came in handy when the circus arrived and the camels and elephants were sick. The man had a special touch and rapport with four legged critters and he loved his work. Carl had a love for dogs, particularly hunting dogs: Labrador Retrievers, German Shorthair Pointers and English Setters. He trained them and involved his children in that practice. The family accompanied him and his dogs to retriever trials across the state. He was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Montana Veterinary Association, Society of Bovine Practitioners, Society for Theriogenology, Montana Pilots Association, Lions Club, North Country Water Association Board, and the Cut Bank Saddle Club. He volunteered for the MT Air Search and Rescue, was a resource for "flatland" pilots who came to fly the mountains, was liaison between the MVMA & the MT Board of Livestock, canoe counselor for the Boy Scouts & did much anonymous work and donation for his community He had an almost insatiable curiosity about this world we live in, was a voracious reader and explored a good share of the trails & lakes in this state. Despite a busy schedule his priority was family time. He worked hard and played harder. He had his toddlers on skis and on horseback before they could walk and as bowmen in his canoe before they could handle a paddle. Early on they became his hunting and fishing partners. All learned skiing, snow shoeing, skating, back packing & to love the outdoors as much as their father did. All participated in his practice and were his assistants and surgical nurses. He aimed to send them out into the world with a good bunch of skills to fulfill their own dreams and he was very successful. Carl was cleared for take-off for his soul's final flight from this earth on December 18, 2011. He is survived by: Wife, Joan Daughters: Robby (Mick) Washington of Fremont, CA Ann Simmons of Gooding, ID Kris (Kevin) Russell of Spokane, WA Sons: Kurt (Candy) Johnson of Havre, MT Gregg Johnson of Riverside, CA Sister: JoAnne (Bill) Johnson of Elizabeth, AR Sister-in-law: Mary Farr of Rogers, MN Brother-in-law: Jon (Vivian) Miller of Napa, FL Brother-in-law: Quentin Grittner of Roseau, MN Grandchildren: Brandi (Chris) Baker, MacKenzie (Drake)Zubatch, Brady, Kacie, & Katie Jo Johnson of Havre; Lance, Nick, & Eric Simmons of Gooding, Id; Kyle & Justin Johnson of Riverside, CA; Brady, Alex, Kameron & Kolton Russell of Spokane, WA.. Great Grandchildren: Aaron, Andy, & Nick Baker & Marki Johnson of Havre Many nieces & nephews He is pre-deceased by: His parents His mother & father-in-law: Albin & Irene Miller Grandson: Reed Simmons Sister: Beatrice (Frank) Marinaro Brothers-in-law: Johnny Casper, Jim Hatten and David Farr Sister-in-law: Emilie Miller Services will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 11 a.m. at the Fifth Avenue Christian Church in Havre.