Lambert DeLaine Johnson – Medford News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2012-01-15

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Lambert DeLaine Johnson Jan 15, 2012 12:00 AM A A Lambert "Lamey" was born to Karen and Einor Johnson on August 11, 1914, in Stanton, Iowa, and was the oldest of 11 children. He pursued the love of his life, Helen Ivorene Hart, by following her and her parents to San Diego, Calif., where they then married in 1937. In those early days he worked as a wholesale delivery person for a large dairy and then for Coca-Cola. In 1941, the family moved to Medford, Ore., where he had various occupations, until he and his younger brothers started Johnson Logging Company. In 1960, he and his wife, along with a partner, started Yellow Courtesy Cab Co. They operated that business for several years. He then went back into the logging business where he worked until he was 93 years old! When he was in high school in Iowa, he was on the basketball team that went to state. Always being very athletics, he was asked to play on the basketball team that played against the famous Harlem Globetrotters in an exhibition game. That game was played in the mid 1950s when Lambert was in his 40's. His younger brothers were also on that team. This man never knew a stranger and was a friend to everyone. He loved his family above all and worked tirelessly for all of them. Lambert will be missed by those who knew him and especially by his family that survives him: son, Roger (Joann) Smith, of Lakeside, Calif.; daughter, Barbara (Harold) Gandee-Miner, of Medford, Ore.; son, Dary (Shirley) Johnson, of Klamath Falls, Ore.; daughter-in-law, Linda Smith, of North Carolina; brothers, Jack and Fred Johnson, of Medford, Ore.; 10 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by son, E. Lee Smith; sisters, Mary Halvin and Helen Corbett; brothers, Bert, John, Boney, Llyod, Darrell, and Robert; and grandsons, Curtis Johnson, Bradley Gande and Larry Jordan. Lambert asked that no services be held for him and the family will honor that request. Please smile when you think of him.