Paul R. Johnston

Paul Rodney Johnston, age 95, of Lincoln, Nebraska was taken to his new eternal home to be with Jesus on Saturday, March 30, 2024. He was born in Holdrege, NE to Silas and Hulda (Nelson) Johnston on July 31, 1928.

Paul was united in marriage to Maxine Peterson on August 8, 1954 in Amelia, NE. This union was blessed with three children, seven grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. Paul is survived by his wife of 70 years, Maxine; sons (with wives) Mark and Cindy Johnston of Kansas City, Jeff and Myra Johnston of Omaha, and daughter, Kay Grauf, of Lincoln; grandchildren Matthew Johnston and Paul Johnston of Kansas City, Jessica (Grauf) Hodges of Lincoln, Jeremy and Jackie Grauf of Omaha, Aimee (Grauf) and Josh Wallace of St. Louis, Christopher Grauf of Lincoln, and Gabriel Grauf of Lincoln; sister-in-law Patricia (Mahoney) Peterson; nieces & nephews with spouses include: Vernon James & Marvel Nelson, Wesley & Connie Nelson, Julie & Jim Nelson, Evie Nelson, all from Holdrege area, along with Barbara & John Clinch of Grand Island, Bonnie Peterson, Darcy Jones, and Stephen Peterson.

He is preceded in death by his parents; mother and father-in-law Dunk & Rose Peterson; sister Dorothy Nelson; brothers-in-law Vernon Nelson and Don Peterson; and nephew Johnny Nelson.

Paul graduated from Mascot, NE High School in 1946. He farmed with his parents in Harlan County and in 1946, he and his parents moved to a ranch in Holt County - south of Atkinson, NE. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1957 with a degree in Agriculture. He spent two years with the DeKalb seed corn and poultry production division in Fremont, NE. He then spent six years as the Colfax County Extension Agent in Schuyler, plus one year as the Ag Representative for the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Schuyler. The following 23 years, Paul served as the Executive V.P. of the Nebraska Livestock Feeders Association and in 1979, the family and the office moved to Lincoln. In 1987, the NLFA and the Nebraska Stockgrowers merged to form the Nebraska Cattlemen with Paul serving as Government Affairs Coordinator. In 1988, Governor Kay Orr appointed Johnston as the Assistant Director of Agriculture for the State of Nebraska. While in the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Johnston served as Livestock Promotion Specialist and was involved in promotion of livestock seed stock (bull siemen) in Mexico, Argentina, and Venezuela. He retired from the Department of Agriculture in 1993, but continued to hold many different part-time jobs. In 2005, he joined the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation as a Project Assistant on a part-time basis - this continued until his health forced him to stop working in 2012 at age 85.

Paul served in the U.S. Army Engineers from 1951 to 1953. He was attached to the Air Force in Korea, building airfields in Korea as an Aviation Engineer. Under his supervision, the airfield at Kimpo, Korea was completed in record time and he was awarded the Bronze Star 50 years later.

A visitation for Paul will be held Wednesday, April 3, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S. 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68512, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 PM. Memorials are in the care of the family for future designation. Arrangements entrusted to Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home.