Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times -

Harry Paul Johnson

October 28, 1954 to November 11, 2023

Harry Paul Johnson passed away in his sleep on Saturday, November 11 at the age of 69, after a long battle with COPD. Paul was born to Harry and Helen (Marsh) Johnson of Musselshell, MT on Oct 28th, 1954. He was their first born and his six siblings–Larry, Roger, Kevin, Bruce, Shelly, and Ruby–were born over the next 14 years. Paul graduated from Roundup Memorial High School in 1973. During his younger years he was a bronc rider and also loved to hunt and snowmobile. His parents got divorced in 1972 and when his Dad married Rachel (Miller) in 1976, he gained 4 step-siblings, Kim, Kandi, Kacey, and Kelly, as well a half-brother, Greg, who was born in 1978. Paul went to auctioneering school in Oklahoma after high school and loved to show off his auctioneering skills throughout his life. He married his high school sweetheart Sheri (Adolph) in 1975 and they had two daughters—Jenelle in 1981 and Jacole, who he affectionately called "Coley," in 1982. He helped his Dad ranch in both Kalispell and Potomac, and he worked for logging operations in ID and WY while living in Lava Hot Springs, ID. He then moved back to Musselshell to run the ranch at the old family homestead. Afterward, he helped run Greytak Ranches in rural Ryegate and Grass Range. He had his commercial truck license and traveled all over the western and midwestern states trucking for Freeport Transport. Paul and Sheri got divorced in 1984 and he was married to Shannon (Ray) from 1984 to 1993. During this time, he worked as a long-haul truck driver based out of Fallon, NV and managed a feedlot on the Walker River Reservation in Schurz, NV. He was proud to have traveled through all lower 48 states. Paul moved back to MT in 1993 where he met and married the love of his life, Alana "AJ" Thorton in 1994. Paul and AJ celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 2019 and would have celebrated their 30th anniversary on January 5, 2024. Paul was a cowboy through and through. He loved fishing, old westerns, and drinking coffee and beer with his dear friends at the Tap Inn. He loved to regale those around him with tales of the time he was bit by a rattlesnake or mauled by a black bear. He loved his cat, Tuxi, and never stopped missing his favorite dog, Jim. He was a wonderful friend who often dropped everything to drive his friends around when they were injured, and he made sure they had hot dinners after surgeries. He was a loving Dad and proud Grandpa of Lois (9) and Helli (4). He was excited at the possibility of having more grandchildren. Paul was preceded in death by his dad Harry Johnson, his mom Helen (Johnson) Walkowiak, and his brothers Roger and Kevin Johnson. He will be dearly missed by his loving wife, AJ Johnson, his daughters Jenelle Linn (Olaus) and Jacole Johnson (Travis), his granddaughters Lois and Helli Cole, his brothers Larry (Donna) and Bruce Johnson, his sisters Shelly Clay (Kenny) and Ruby Maine (John), his step-mom Rachel Johnson, his step-siblings Kim Archambeau, Kandi Claassen, Kasey Miller, and Kelly Larson, his half-brother Greg Johnson, many nieces and nephews, and his Tap Inn family.