Rev. Eric Lee “Rik” Johnson, age 69, of Cane Valley, Kentucky, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, February 3, 2017.   

Eric was born in the Onawa Hospital in Onawa, Iowa, on July 17, 1947, the son of Elaine ‘Bunny’ (Woods) and Fredrick ‘Fred’ C. Warner and later the legally adopted son of Robert ‘Bob’ J Johnson in 1954.  In his childhood took piano lessons, was a Cub Scout and also known as Rikki throughout high school (H.S.).  In his free time, along with his brother, Dennis, kept busy mowing yards, delivering newspapers, fishing in the summer and trapping in the winter.  In school he participated in speech, receiving a Certificate of Merit award in Public Address from state speech contest.  Eric was also Drum Major in his Junior & Senior years in H.S. marching band, lettering in basketball, baseball and track in H.S. and held the record in basketball for the most career points until 2016.  (This was before the 3-point shot).  Eric graduated in 1965 from West Monona H.S. at Onawa, Iowa, ranked in the top 10 percent of his class.  A member of the National Honor Society he also won major and minor awards in vocal music and the American Citizenship Award.  He also was a life guard at the Onawa swimming pool.

Eric attended Morningside College for four years.  After graduating, he enrolled and graduated from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.  In the summer of 1971, Eric served as the Summer Resort Minister, Traverse City, MI, and also as pastor to the Migrate Workers & Indians in N. Port, Michigan, north of Traverse City.  Rik would travel back-and-forth to school for his last year at Garrett Seminary.   After being ordained in 1972, he was appointed to a two-charge church.  The country church which was later consolidated into the Reading United Methodist Church, West Michigan Conference, Albion District, where he served for four years.  While in Reading and with the help of a supportive congregation and community, they had a very large summer program for youth and outings.  Eric also acquired a school bus for transportation for these events.  He was planning to transfer to the Iowa Conference of The United Methodist Church, but in the process, his papers from Garrett Seminary were not received in time at the Iowa Annual Conference.  Having to provide for his family they moved to Onawa, Iowa where he worked as a carpenter with his dad for a few years.  During this time he ministered through music at several area places and at the Onawa / Blue Lake KOA Campground on Sunday mornings.  He established and pastored a community church in Ida Grove and then at Storm Lake, Iowa and continued their ‘Ministry of Music’. 

Now as a family of six including his four children, Kevin, Jennifer, Jeffrey & Matthew, they moved to St. Charles, IL where he was employed in the construction business.  Later with the assistance of family, he engaged in the remodeling and selling of existing properties in and near Aurora, IL.  He also went to refrigeration school in Chicago for the purpose of repairing appliances.  While in Aurora he began to repair and sell used appliances.  On December 18, 2004, Eric married Jacqueline D. Johnson at the Villas Wesleyan Church in Ft. Myers, Florida.  After leaving the Chicago area, he continued to purchase and refurbish properties to rent or sell.  They also made their home in Old Bridge Village, N Ft. Myers while in Florida.  Eric was an avid sports fan, enjoyed playing softball and tennis, and living on the ‘Farm’ in Cane Valley, KY where he continued the appliance business.  Throughout his life, Eric continued his music ministry until his sudden passing away.

Eric is survived by his wife, Jackie of Cane Valley, KY, and her children, Angel (James) Pennyman, Nedra Sue Johnson, Derrick Lamar Johnson and her nine grandchildren, his children and grandchildren, Kevin E. & friend (Stephanie Ericson) of N Ft. Myers, FL; Jennifer L. (Heiko), Ella Remecz of Ft. Myers, FL; Jeffrey (Stacey), McKenzie, Carter & Owen, Gwendolyn Johnson of Wooster, OH; Matthew K. (Nicole),  Matthew &  Anika Johnson of St. Charles, IL.  His mother, Elaine (Woods) Johnson of Onawa, IA; brothers, Dennis O. (Betty) of Brainerd, MN and Michael R. Johnson of Onawa, IA, half-brother, Dr. James D. Warner, D.C. of Keizer, OR; half-sisters, Juanita (Gordon) Reeder of Aloha, OR and Dr. Merrylee Warner, D.C. of Keizer, OR.  Eric was preceded in death by his father, Fred Warner in 1988 and his dad, Bob Johnson in 2014.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. at Cane Valley Christian Church with Bro. Ivan Tucker officiating

Visitation will be after 1:00 P.M. Saturday at the church

Grissom-Martin Funeral Home in charge of arrangements

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