Rodney “Rod” Berg Johnson Obituary

Rodney Berg Johnson, age 82, formerly of Sulphur Springs, TX, and Loomis, NE, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on January 6, 2020. Rodney passionately served Jesus, loved his family, and had an amazing work ethic. His life was marked by the Bible verse Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.”

“Rod” was born and raised in Loomis, Nebraska, on April 7, 1937, to Fredrick and Alice Johnson. A Cornhusker fan forever, he loved his hometown and was blessed with numerous cousins and friends with whom he shared wonderful memories with. A proud and loyal Wolverine of Loomis High School, Rod was passionate about sports! He lettered in baseball, basketball, and track & loved football. Baseball was his favorite sport and he made the Wolves proud as a pitcher. He graduated in the Class of 1955 with numerous athletic awards plus the honor of attending the Cornhusker Boys State of 1954. He worked for Elliot Garage/Auto at the age of 14 where he developed a love and passion for cars and all things mechanical. After graduation, he attended Kearney State College for two years, and then transferred to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where he was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He graduated with a B.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1960 and began a career as an engineer with Rockwell International beginning in 1960. He was transferred to Sulphur Springs, TX, in 1961. Rod met the love of his life, Cynthia Saucier Johnson, at First Baptist Dallas, and they were married in 1970. They raised five children: Jennifer, Angela, Natalie, Juliette, and Christopher. Rodney’s desire for his children was for them to serve God, pursue their talents, get a college degree, and work with integrity.

While in Sulphur Springs, Rod loved to serve in a variety of ministries. He and Cynthia served at FBC Sulphur Springs where he taught a young couples’ Sunday School Class for many years, was a deacon and found numerous opportunities to help meet the needs of people. He later served as pastor of FBC Dike, which was one of his favorite ministries in his life. He also found inspiration from his Grandpa Berg who immigrated from Norway to the U.S. and became a missionary to Kenya Africa in the early 1900s. Rodney enjoyed passing down the stories of the Kenya mission to his children and grandchildren.

Rod set the standard high with his amazing work ethic. He built a career with Rockwell International and retired after 37 years of service. He took an opportunity to work for Alumitech in Somerset, Kentucky, where they enjoyed living in the “Bluegrass State.” He completed his engineering career working for National Distributors Leasing from 1999-2017 where he received awards for being “Driver of the Year.” His later career in trucking took him all over the U.S. where he never hesitated to miss an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus! In addition, he met many trucking “Brothers-in-Christ” who encouraged him in his faith and blessed him with love and friendship. Rodney leaves behind a legacy of faith and an inspirational work ethic to his family and all who knew him. Rodney was extremely blessed to have lived an active and vibrant life until just a few weeks before his passing.

He was preceded in death by devoted parents Fredrick and Alice Johnson of Loomis, NE; beloved aunt Minnie Waller, Holdrege, NE; beloved cousins: Royce Johnson, Loomis, NE; Jack Waller of Holdrege, NE, Roger Waller, Falls Church, VA; and Mary Alice Feeney, of California; supportive in-laws Roy and Nadine Saucier of Duncanville, TX; encouraging brother-in-law Roger Lewis of Euless, TX, and beloved extended family: Mary Alice and Freddy Perryman of Duncanville, TX; Robert, Melissa, Tyler, and Colby Hayes of Joplin, MO, and Neva Maulden of Ft. Worth, TX. He is survived by his loving wife Cynthia and his children: daughter Jennifer House, son-in-law Michael House, and grandson Clayton House of Rockwall, TX; Angela Johnson of Mesquite, TX; Natalie Johnson and grandson Layne Porter of Princeton, TX; Juliette Johnson of Plano, TX; and son Christopher Johnson of Syracuse, NY; beloved sister-in-law Carole Anne Lewis, nieces Melissa Immel and Alicia Luna, all of St. Cloud, FL, nephew Allan Lewis of Frisco, TX; beloved family Alan, Christie, Matthew, and Catherine Perryman of Colorado, Michael and Amanda Perryman of Colorado; and beloved cousin Virginia Gustafson of Holdrege, NE.

Rodney’s family would like to thank the medical staff at Presbyterian Hospital & Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care for the outstanding, compassionate care given to him and his family during his illness. A special thank you to the compassionate staff of Rest Haven Funeral Home of Rockwall for the memorial preparations.

A family “Celebration of Life” ceremony was held at Grove Hill Cemetery with the focus on 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.”