Hyrum B. Johnson

Hyrum B. Johnson, 75, of Temple died Sunday January 3, 2010 in a local hospital. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday January 8, 2010 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Temple with Bishop Carl McKinley officiating. Burial will be on January 11, 2010 in Holden, Utah. He was born February 20, 1934 in Holden, Utah to Austin and Hattie Bennett Johnson. He graduated from Millard High School in 1952. He served a two year mission trip in Hawaii for the LDS Church. He received both a Bachelors and Masters of Science from Brigham Young University. He then went on to Columbia University in New York where he earned a PhD in Plant Physiology and Ecology. Until retiring in 2007, he was employed by the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA at the Grassland Soil and Water Research Station in Temple. He was a member of a number of professional organizations, including the Ecological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society of Range Management, and Sigma Xi Society. He married Margaret Graham in 1963. During their time together they lived in New York City, St. Louis, MO, Riverside, CA, and Temple, where they settled in 1980. He was an active member of the LDS Church throughout his life and presided as a bishop over the local congregation for seven years. He served for over 50 years as a leader in the Boy Scouts of American, earning a District Award of Merit in 2006 and a Century Member recognition from the Heart o' Texas Council. Survivors include his wife of 46 years; two sisters, Ada Christensen of Spanish Fork, UT and Helen Jackson of Sierra Vista, AZ; three sons, Edward G. Johnson of Albany, CA, H. David Johnson of Tucson, AZ, and Christopher A. Johnson of Moscow, ID; two daughters, Suzanne J. Woods of Corvallis, OR and Katherine L. Johnson of Wanakena, NY; brother-in-law, Bruce Lovell of Oak City, UT;eleven grandchildren. Visitation will be held 7-9 p.m. Thursday January 7, 2010 at the Scanio-Harper Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Boy Scouts of American, 8605 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75235 or to the LDS Philanthropies.