A small service get together for “Artie” Arthur Reuben Johnson, 62, will be held Saturday, Nov 7, at 10 a.m. at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds with Pastors Tom Strock of Douglas & Joel Richardson of Lusk officiating/sharing. A family lunch will be held afterwards. Artie requested no funeral services.
Arthur “Artie” Reuben passed away unexpectedly Oct. 31 at his home near Lusk.
A native of Niobrara County, he was born in Lusk on Nov. 4, 1957 to Donald Eldon and Gloria Faye Vogel Johnson. He received his early schooling in Lance Creek and graduated from Niobrara County High School in 1976.
He ranched with his father in Lance Creek on his grandfather Reuben A. and Mabel Carlisle Johnson’s homestead ranch, until the ranch sold in 2001. Later, buying a ranch north of Lusk. For many years, he worked for the Superior Livestock Video Auction videoing and selling/buying cattle locally as well as to/from many areas in Wyoming and throughout the United States. Later continuing on with the Livestock video business of selling/buying cattle working through the Torrington Livestock Auction and Cattle Country Video. He was a lifelong rancher in Niobrara County.
On June 22, 1985, he married Sandra Steben of Huntley. She has been an elementary teacher and middle/high school Coach in Niobrara County for many years.
He was a 4-H leader and huge supporter of the various local/district/state sports programs of football, volleyball, basketball, and track. He loved spending time with his family, working on projects, following sports events, and traveling/working with his livestock clients in his video auction business. He loved visiting with people. He was truly a Wyoming “Cowboy”, and loved being on the back of a horse or around a cow/horse. He also spent time to educate others on diabetes, which he dealt with.
Survivors include his wife Sandra of 35 years of Lusk; his Mom Gloria Vogel Johnson of Wheatland; three sons, Will Johnson of Douglas, Taylor and Breanne (Oakley, Kelbi) Johnson of Casper, and Trent Johnson of Lusk; two sisters Debra Johnson Millard of Cody and Vicki Johnson Pinneo (Ken) of Wheatland; Mother and Father in-law Roger and Shirley Steben of Torrington; Brothers in laws Randy(Twila) Steben of Torrington and Mike(Charlotte) Steben of Torrington; nephews/nieces: Matthew and Whitney (Tinlee, Kaysen) Pinneo of Alliance, Neb., Daniel Pinneo of Wheatland, Ty (Laine, Hadlee, Coralie) Steben of Torrington, Roxanne and Michael (Trevor, Kami) Jolovich of Veteran, Shannon and Jason(Zoe, Axel) Baldwin of Torrington, Jake Steben of Denver, Colo., and Blake Steben of Laramie; Aunt Linda Vogel Baribeau of Leavenworth, Kan., a host of friends and numerous cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father Donald Eldon Johnson in 2002.
The family has decided to put all memorial donations into a scholarship fund for Rawhide FFA to give to their annual Outstanding Member. (Please make checks payable to Sandra Johnson)
