Michael "Mike" Johnson

Michael "Mike" Johnson, 49, passed away on Sunday, November 17, 2024, after a fast and furious battle with cancer.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, November 22, 2024, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 502 N 4th St., Bismarck.

Visitation will take place on Thursday starting at 5:00 until 7:00 PM at Riverstone Church, 2700 State Street, Bismarck, with a prayer service starting at 7:00 PM.

*Please note the two different churches. Both the prayer service and the memorial service will be live streamed.

Michael Duane was born on April 2, 1975, in Mohall, ND, where he grew up and graduated from Mohall High School in 1993. Mike was a great athlete, playing football and basketball during high school and for those he didn’t have a chance to tell, he was a state champion pole vaulter his senior year. If you asked how he did the year before that, he would tell you the story of his shirt that said “second sucks” across the back. He also had a short musical career, until his trumpet took an unfortunate fall out of the window of a moving car. Mike’s mom’s patience was tested throughout Mikes childhood. Whether it was staying up late waiting for him to get home or all the antics we can only imagine he tried and did pull during those years-many she knew about, many she didn’t want to. Mike and his mom always had a close relationship and that only got stronger throughout the years. Mike always said he had a great childhood, including many basketball games that were played in the driveway, with his stepdad Duane always joining in! Shelly and Duane instilled a work ethic into Mike, earning everything he wanted by hauling coal ashes from the basement for 10 cents a bucket to buy his beloved Original Michael Jordans or anything else that was on his want list. His work ethic carried on during the summers, when he would go to Bismarck and work for his dad’s floor covering business, The Rug Rat.

A blonde girl from Grand Forks, who was visiting a friend in Mohall, caught Mike’s attention. A long-distance relationship between Mike and Julie Novak started in 1992 and survived Mike’s try at being a full-time socializer at the University of North Dakota. After working as a carpet installer in East Grand Forks for a short time, Mike moved to Bismarck and started working full time with his dad. He and Julie continued dating and after many years, people kept asking Mike when he was going to propose, and his response was “When I get back from Chicago.” When asked when he was going to Chicago, he would give a grin that only Mike could and say “Never” and that was always followed by a Mike laugh. In 2003, at Charity Lutheran Church in Bismarck, Mike married his high school sweetheart, Julie. They were blessed with two boys, Aiden and Owen. Mike loved his boys and was their biggest fan and critic, as only a dad could be. He took credit for their athletic abilities and gave Julie credit for their height.

Mike continued working and running The Rug Rat until just this last month. He was a CFI, Certified Floor Covering Installer, and his dad always said he was the youngest ever certified. Mike wasn’t sure this was true, but he ran with it and took pride in his work and the relationships he built through this business. For 10 years, he helped run The Rugrat Charity Softball tournament that benefited the Bismarck Cancer Center. It came full circle when he had radiation during his cancer treatment at this wonderful facility.

Coach Miguel, M.J., Mikey, GCG- Game Changer Guy and other nicknames were given to Mike by friends and by the kids he coached. He got roped into coaching baseball one year and claimed to be the “rah rah” guy but fell in love with supporting his boys and any other kids, whether they were on his team or not. His circle of friends was large and grew larger as his boys got more active in sports. Often, he would drop the boys off at hockey and meet the rest of the dads at “Rink Three” also known as The Lodge and/or Stadium. He also headed many “Safety Meetings” during baseball games with other parents in the left field parking lot. Mike loved big and lived big and his big personality came through to whoever he met! Summers were full of spending time on the river with family and friends. He was often seen with a Diet Mountain Dew or after hours, a Miller Lite, earning the nickname “Miller Lite Mike.”

The last few months with the diagnoses, surgery, chemo and everything in-between, Mike could have made the decision to just give up, but his favorite quote he said many times was “You can get busy living or get busy dying” and he chose to live the best life he could and love those around him as he tried to kick cancer. The world is a little quieter without Mike, but our hearts are full of memories and smiles which can never be erased.

He is survived by his wife, Julie and his boys, Aiden and Owen; mother, Shelly Haugan, Mandan; father, Duey Johnson, Bismarck; siblings, Chantel (Boyd) Southam, Sherwood and their children, Cole, Adam and Emma ; brother, Chris (Ann) Johnson, Granville, Ohio and their children, Tim, Julianna, Gideon and Poly; nephew, Dylan Stevens, Bismarck; mother-in-law, Ardis (Al) Brandl; father-in-law, Ernest “Ernie” Novak; brother in law, Brad (Kari) Novak and their children, Laken, Jaden and Morgan; sister-in-law, Lisa (George “Bubs”) Braun and their children, Payton and Brooks; his beloved dog, Oshie along with several aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Amy (Doug) Larsen and their boys, Christian and Everett; stepfather, Duane Haugan; stepmother, Donna Johnson; maternal grandparents, Thomas Elvick and Bob and Rae Harvey and paternal grandparents, Virgil and Angeline Johnson.