JOHNSTAD, Conrad R., age 90

Died: Wednesday, May 18th, 2016

Memorial  Service: 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at Peace Lutheran Church of Pigeon Falls (13083 Main Street) in Pigeon Falls with Rev. Rolfe Johnstad officiating.

Visitation: family will receive friends one (1) hour prior to service.

Interment: Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Pigeon Falls with Military Honors provided by Hutchens Stendahl Post 191

Conrad Ronnei Johnstad (aka Connie Johns) - Northfield, Wisconsin welcomed my entry into this world on August 20, 1925. Iver (barber and musician) and wife, Olga, were the celebrants of my birth. Shortly thereafter, we moved to Pigeon Falls where father plied his trade. Our family was complete when we were joined by my three sisters, Lorraine, Donna, and Randvig, and two brothers, Rev. Rolfe and Rev. Ronald. We were blessed to have parents who loved and made music. As a result, music making has become a Johnstad legacy.

Upon my graduation from Whitehall High School in 1943, I joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was soon shipped out for active duty at Peleliu Island in the South Pacific. In 1946, I received an honorable discharge and returned home to follow in my father's footsteps and became a barber and professional musician.

I fell in love and married Violet Haugen from Hudson in 1950. From this union, we became proud parents of Jodelle, Sheryl, Steven, Melinda, Dusty, and Jason. We were blessed to raise Terry Shock as our own from the age of ten. Our household was a busy one and as each of the kids started dating, it wasn't unusual to come home to find pairs of teens sprawled on the living-room rug watching late-night TV. I always made sure to remind them that all toes better be pointing up at all times.

I was blessed to meet Kathleen Hagen and her nine-year-old son, David Dermer, in 1979. Kathleen started playing in my band the next year and three years later we got married and moved into our present home. Life was very full as we shared our home with my father-in-law, Even, who had suffered a major stroke and my mother-in-law, Alvina, who was developing Parkinson 's disease. They lived out the duration of their lives with us, three and ten years, respectively. I was happy to be a part of their lives and to be of service and comfort to them.

There was always room at our table for another. Many a meal, especially those featuring lutefisk and/or lefse, were begun with the Norwegian table prayer: I Jesu navn gar vi til bords, Spise og drikke pa ditt ord, Deg Gud til aere, oss til gavn, Sa far vi mat i Jesu navn.

My life has been varied and interesting. I spent many years working as a barber for the developmentally handicapped at Northern Center. For 75 years of my long life, it has been my great privilege to have played and sung the music I love to countless wonderful people across the Tri-State area who loved my music. Whether a barn dance in York, a dinner club in Milwaukee, a ballroom in Minneapolis - it's been such a trip! And to the hundreds of fine
dedicated musicians with whom I have had the honor of sharing the stage, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And, by the way, did you hear about Ole and Lars? They were…

I've loved telling stories. I've loved making people laugh. My loved ones (and others) also enjoy telling a good story or two about me!

From Steven - "At an early age, Pops taught me to never let the truth get in the way of a
good story. Along with a masterful gift of storytelling was his almost Zen-like love of Pigeon Falls philosophy: 'Son, as you walk through life, you should always look out for number one, but don't step in number two in the process'."

From Dusty - "I remember the time Daddy took a bubble bath in our Jacuzzi. After a long time, I went to check on him and noticed a steady stream of soap pouring out from under the bathroom door. I opened the door to a room full of steam and soap and there, like a ship in the fog, was Daddy's grinning face almost lost in a sea of bubbles."

From Sheryl - "Mindy and I lived in built-alike houses separated only by another built just
like ours. One Saturday morning, while staying at our place, Daddy went out to get a paper and decided to visit Mindy. Finding no one at home, he helped himself to fresh coffee and sat down to read the paper. Soon a man in pajamas appeared on the staircase. Daddy looked up and said 'Who are you?' 'I'm Joe,' the man said, 'and I think you're in the wrong house'."

From Jody 1 "As a little girl in Milwaukee, there were some days I would never see Daddy at all. He would leave the house early to barber, then perhaps golf a little before going to whatever gig he had that night. He always managed to charm some leftover food from the kitchen help. Arriving home late, he tried sharing his goodies with us. But we were fast asleep. So I would wake up in the morning to find assorted goodies on my pillow--bits of shrimp, steak, or chicken. Later, in Chippewa, Daddy discovered a late-night bargain at Hardees - ten hamburgers for $1. How unique! To wake up to find a whole hamburger on one's pillow!"

From Jason - "I recall the year I spent Christmas Eve with Dad, Kathleen, and David. One of the gifts Dad received was a good bottle of Scotch, which he 'tasted' throughout the evening. We decided to attend Midnight Service and, arriving late, had to separate into pairs several pews apart. In a quiet moment, Dave and I started giggling as we suddenly heard great peals of thunderous snoring coming from somewhere behind us. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped - as if an elbow had reached its mark. Kathleen never said a word all the way home."

From David - "It was Sunday and I needed to hand in an interview with a professional on Monday. Conrad arranged for me to see Dr. Joe Stucky, a local chiropractor, that afternoon. The interview over, Dr. Joe invited us to go down to his rec room to check out his new golf club. Dr. Joe, who was shorter, took a trial swing. Conrad, who was taller, took a swing and managed to knock out an entire bank of fluorescent lighting. Mortified, we were quickly ushered out over a carpet of broken glass."

I am survived by my loving wife, Kathleen; brother, Rev. Rolfe (Margie) Johnstad; sister, Randvig (Douglas) Norvold; daughters, Jodelle Harris, Sheryl (Edward) Wilkinson, and Dusty (Bill) Millard; sons, Steven Johnstad, Jason (Kylie) Johnstad, and David Dermer; grandchildren, Shannon (Laurie), Blake, Matthew and Nick Rutledge, Angela Johnstad, Sarah (Juergen) Viktor, Adam, Laura and Jessica Kreutzfeldt, Jordyn and Evan Johnstad, Brad Millard, and Shelly Snyder; great grandchildren, Samuel and Josephine Kreutzfeldt, Alexis and Carley Rutledge, Fisher and Ogden Viktor, Addison May, Brooklynn, Tyler and Bailey Millard, and Kade Snyder; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Preceding me in death were my parents, Iver and Olga (Ronnei) Johnstad; beloved daughter, Melinda Rutledge; son, Terry Shock; former wife, Violet Johnstad; brother, Rev. Ronald Johnstad; sisters and brothers-in-law, Donna and Wally Hanson and Lorraine and Dale Heine.

Laughter, dancing, music, love--all gifts from God to lighten our load as we journey through this incredible existence. Assured of God's love and forgiveness for all of us, I leave you now this lovely 18th day of May, 2016 with His blessing. Love, Connie.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God"· I John 4:7