Duane Irwin Johnson

Duane Irwin Johnson, 68, of Hixton, WI, passed away at his home on April 30, 2026.
Duane was born to Irwin and Judith (Whelihan) Johnson in Black River Falls, WI, on
February 25, 1958, where he was raised with his five siblings. Duane’s mother, Judith,
passed away when Duane was just 10 years old, and his father would later marry
Teresa (Shoemaker) Johnson.
After graduating from Black River Falls High School, Duane began working at the Hixton
Cheese Factory, where he worked as a maintenance supervisor until his retirement.
Duane met the love of his life, Julie Nelson, in the summer of 1990, and the two were
married on April 9 th , 2005. Julie and Duane spent twenty-three wonderful years together
raising a family and making countless memories.
Duane was considered by many to be a “jack-of-all trades”, he could fix just about
anything, and always seemed to have a project he was working on. In fact, he had quite
the collection of lawnmowers and appliances that he had restored and repaired over the
years. He also enjoyed gardening, often sharing the yields of his garden with friends
and neighbors. Duane loved spending time outdoors, going for walks with his dog,
Rhoady, boating, hunting with his grandkids, and going for drives. He was incredibly
social and always made time to visit with his family, friends, and neighbors.
Duane is preceded in death by his parents, Irwin and Judith Johnson; sister, Vicky
Johnson; step-son, Christopher Flick; Brother- in-law, Richard Lamp; and his good pal,
Bruce Casper.
He is survived by his mother, Teresa Johnson; his devoted wife, Julie; daughter, Desiree
Johnson and her children, Destiny (Keith), Jamie (Ashley), and Brent (Alexis); son,
Jeremy (Kelly) Johnson and their children, Molly (Montana), Emma and Drew; daughter,
Danielle “Nelly” (Joel) Thieret and their children, Halle, Hayden, and Gia; son, Jamie
“James” Johnson, and his son, Dacoda (Phawn); daughter, Tracy (Casey) Moe and their
children, Austin, Bailee, and Rachel; and son, Randall Flick; he is further survived by his
14 great- grandchildren; his siblings, Pam (Dan) Gearing, Penny (Kevin) Eddy, Lorie
(Jim) Lamp, and Jennifer (Dallas) Jelinek; along with numerous other family members
and friends.
A funeral will be held at the Jensen-Modjeski Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
Visitation to take place from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. with the funeral service to begin
at 1:00 p.m. Following the funeral service, a committal service and burial will be held at
the Sechlerville Cemetery. Reverend Terry Marg to officiate.