Marshall D. Johnson

• 

Johnson, Marshall D. Lately of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, died of thyroid cancer on January 26, 2011, at the age of 75. He was born on a farm near Middle River, Minnesota, on November 15, 1935, to Ingvald Johnson and Bertha Maijala Johnson and attended a one-room country school through eighth grade. After graduating from Middle River High School in 1953, he attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis, earning his B.A. in music and philosophy. He taught choral music in Hallock, Minnesota, for one year, and in 1957-58, he enrolled in Augsburg Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, graduating with a B.Th. in 1961. Marshall served as pastor of Bronx Lutheran Church, New York, from 1961 to 1963. In 1966, he earned the Th.D. degree in New Testament at Union Seminary (Columbia University), New York. From 1966 to 1984 he was on the religion faculty at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, spending one semester as a Fulbright lecturer at the University of Bergen, Norway, in 1976. He was active in teaching, publishing, and writing for several decades. From 1984 to 1990 Marshall was academic book editor at Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, and then served as director of Fortress Press from 1990 until his retirement in 1997. His doctoral dissertation, The Purpose of the Biblical Genealogies, was published originally by Cambridge University Press. His translation of "The Life of Adam and Eve" and "The Apocalypse of Moses" was published in the Doubleday edition of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, and Making Sense of the Bible: Literary Type as an Approach to Understanding was published by Eerdman's in 2002. Among his other works are his survey of church history, The Evolution of Christianity: Twelve Crises that Shaped the Church (Continuum), and two works published by Augsburg Books: Psalms through the Year and The Apostles' Creed. Marshall is survived by his beloved wife of 51 years, Alice Joy, and their three children, Nathan Erick Johnson (Cynthia) of Shoreview, Minnesota, Catherine Johnson Greeley (Steven) of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and Jennifer Beth Johnson (Michael), also of Lake Havasu City. They also rejoice in the company of seven grandchildren, Kayla, Kasey, and Kyle Johnson; Stephanie and Grant Greeley; and Nolan and Larson Matzdorff. He was a cherished and loving parent to his children and grandchildren. Marshall is also survived by his brother, Walfrid Johnson of Aeia Heights, Hawaii, and his sister, Sylvia Caesar of Federal Way, Washington. A celebration of life was held at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on Tuesday, February 1, at 11 AM. Marshall preferred memorials to Amnesty International (P.O. Box 96756, Washington, DC 20090-6756) or to the American Cancer Society.

Published on February 6, 2011