Harry Kenneth Johanson

Harry Kenneth Johanson passed away at age 92 at Jennings McCall Assisted Living Center in Forest Grove after an extended illness.

He was born in Perry, Oregon December 7, 1915. He was preceded in death by his mother and father Klara and Karl Johanson, brothers, George, David, Herman and Joel, sisters Anna, Estrid, Elizabeth, Mary and Clara, brother-in-law Wendell Green, sister-in-law Lorna Green, nieces Barbara Jean Bartlett, Mildred Emmons and Joan Collins and nephews Raymond Hess, Jimmy Beickel and Richard Johanson.

Survivors are Kathryn his beloved wife of almost 70 years, his son Mark, granddaughters Kathryn Johanson and Linda Buckley, nephews David Johanson and Henry L. Hess, Jr., nieces Melba St. Clair, Wanda Orton, Betty Ludlam, Clara Miller, Lila Mae Crandall, Lorraine Green and Sharon Green along with great nieces, nephews and grandchildren.

Harry attended grade schools in Perry and La Grande and graduated from high school in Gresham. He lived for a short time with his sister Clara and her husbandless Anderson in Fortuna, California. He met Kathryn Green while visiting in Union. She attended Merritt Business College in San Francisco and discovered that Harry also was attending the same school. Harry got his first taste of banking working for Bank of America while attending school.

He and Kathryn were married on October 21, 1938 at the home of Les and Clara Anderson in Fortuna, California. They were visiting Kathryn's parent s in Union when Kathryn's mother told him there was an opening at First National Bank in Union. He applied to manager Les Bramwell and was accepted. He started his career at the Union Branch of First National Bank of Portland in 1939 and went on to serve as a host of other locations in Oregon over his career of some 40 years. From Union he was transferred to La Grande, Nyssa and Salem. He enlisted in the Army in World War II and spent his enlistment primarily at Fort Lee Virgin IA as a staff sergeant in the Quartermaster Corps before returning to Oregon. He was assigned to assignments in Ontario, Condon, The Dalles and Portland before being promoted to branch manager of the Albany Branch where he served for 14 years. He returned to Portland and worked as a regional sales manager and collection specialist in the special credits department before retiring in 1978 at age 62.

Harry was an avid fisherman and hunter and enjoyed the fishing and hunting in eastern Oregon in Union County. Fly fishing in the many streams and high lakes in that area was usually very successful. He and his brothers David and George loved hunting deer, elk, ducks, pheasants and grouse in the area around Union and Pondosa.

Private funeral services will be in La Grande at graveside where Harry had requested that he be interred in the family burial plot next to his brother Joel.

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