Kurt Douglas Johnson of Cooperstown, North Dakota, was placed into the arms of Mark and Mary Lou (Wuflestad) Johnson on April 24, 1956, and on January 5, 2011, he was placed into the arms of God.

Kurt grew up and was educated in Cooperstown, graduating in 1974. After graduating from North Dakota State University with a BS degree in Construction Management, he and his family moved to Bismarck where he pursued his passion for improving how things work by serving 9 years as the Senior Engineer for the ND DOT. He and his family then moved to Champagne, Illinois, where he worked for 4 years for ERES Consultants, INC., a company that specialized in pavement engineering. His next move was to Falls Church, Virginia, where he served for 10 years as a project manager at AASHTO in Washington, DC. In 2003, he returned to North Dakota to serve as a transportation research engineer with the Upper Great Plains Regional Transportation Institute. He was also contracted with the ND DOT. Returning to ND gave Kurt the opportunity to work with graduate students at his alma mater, NDSU, sharing his experience and encouraging them to stay in North Dakota to use their technical knowledge within the state.

Kurt lived in Cooperstown while working at NDSU. He enjoyed working on his house, gardening, and waiting for a big buck to appear from Paradise (Valley) road while perched in his hunting shack. Kurt attended Saron Evangelical Free Church, and Cooperstown Bible Camp played a significant part in his life. He was one-of-a-kind. Whether visiting with him at his home, around a campfire, or at work, his kind words, quick wit, and sense of humor made everyone feel important and at ease. We miss the click of his cowboy boots and his logical way of looking at life.

His life will be joyfully remembered by those he most treasured-his family: children Sophia (Fargo, ND), Ozzie ( Chicago, IL ) and Bjorn ( Falls Church, VA); mother Mary Lou and stepfather Kermit Ueland; brother Korwin (Ireta) and sisters Karen and Kristi; stepbrothers Keith, Martin (Rhoda) and Joel (Kim) and stepsister Rhoda (Roger); and his canine companion Sparky 2.

Kurt was preceded in death by his father Mark, grandparents Oswald and Ruth (Vigesaa) Wuflestad and Paul and Martha (Pearson) Johnson, and several aunts and uncles.

A memorial service celebrating Kurt's life will be held on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 2:00PM in the Lunde Tabernacle at the Cooperstown Bible Camp, Cooperstown, ND with Pastor Stephen Scheel officiating. Visitation will be held on Friday, July 1, 2011 from 5PM to7PM with a family service to follow.