Dr. Gene E. Johnson died April 2, 2025, at age 96 at the Seminary Village, Galesburg, IL. He was born January 12, 1929, in Sheridan, Wyoming, the second of three sons of George and Frieda Johnson. He was very active in Boy Scouts, reaching the rank of Eagle. He graduated as valedictorian from Sheridan High School in 1946 and enlisted in the army for served for 18 months. While in the army he decided to become a Medical Missionary and set his educational goals accordingly. In 1948 he enrolled in the University of Oregon as well as Northwest Christian College (NCC) in Eugene, Oregon, from which he received Batchlor of Science and Batchlor of Theology degrees respectively. He met and married his wife, Sue Hahn, at NCC having first been attracted to her by her beautiful singing voice. Upon graduation from NCC he was ordained to the Christian ministry in the same ceremony as his older brother, Glenn. During the sophomore and junior years of medical school he served as weekend pastor at a rural Indiana church 90 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
Gene attended Indiana University School of Medicine where he earned his medical degree, graduating in May 1954, and finishing 6th in a class of 135. He and Sue spent a year in the Panama Canal Zone where he completed an internship at Gorgas Hospital and their first child Ralph was born. An intensive course of French language at Yale was followed by a ceremony of commissioning for the mission field at the 1957 Convention of the Christian Church. He and his family then spent a year in Belgium where he completed studies at the School of Tropical Medicine in Brussels where their second child Ron was born.
They arrived in the Belgian Congo in 1957 and Dr. Johnson was assigned to a hospital in a remote village near the equator. Being the only physician there he was responsible for all the medical and surgical care, as well as maintaining the electrical generator and the vehicles. He and his family were evacuated during the disturbances following independence in 1960 and their third child Carol was born in Casper, Wyoming. They returned to Congo for a second term and were once more evacuated in 1964. At this time, he was invited to work at the Galesburg Clinic in Galesburg, Illinois, beginning in January, 1965, and was accepted as a partner.
When returning to Congo for a third term in 1967, he had a small airplane which was purchased through a fundraising campaign in Galesburg. The airplane permitted him to maintain medical services in 8 remote hospitals that had no doctor after the independence troubles, flying out each morning from a central hospital location to perform surgeries and consultations with the local Congolese nurses.
At the end of the third term Dr. Johnson and his family returned to Galesburg permanently. When the new specialty board of Family Practice was created, he fulfilled the criteria to become board certified. His practice included obstetrics, surgery, and treating patients of all ages. He was active in the Knox County Medical Society and served a term as president. He also served a term as chief of staff at St. Mary’s Hospital. He was certified by the FAA to perform the periodic exams required for pilots, and for quite a few years was the only one in the county so authorized.
In 1999, 100 years after the beginning of the Disciples of Christ Congo Mission, Dr. Johnson researched, wrote and published a book of the history of the activities of Disciples Missionaries in the preceding 50 years. A book entitled “Fifty Years in Congo” had been published earlier (1899 to 1949), and Dr. Johnson’s book was entitled “Congo Centennial, the Second 50 Years” (1949 to 1999).
During a trip to Russia in 1992 Dr. Johnson was introduced to the head of a regional medical school who asked him to help them establish a family practice department. This involved three more trips to Russia in the following two years to work with the local faculty.
Dr Gene (as he was often called) was a member of First Christian Church, Galesburg, Illinois, where he served at various times as Elder, chair of the Finance Committee, chair of the Board, Trustee, Sunday school teacher and choir member. He also was involved in the activities of the national Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), serving one six-year term as a member of the board of the Division of Overseas Ministries. He returned to Congo on three later occasions for visits of a few weeks to carry out specific assignments. He kept in touch with friends in the Disciples community in Congo and was a strong supporter of education, providing financial resources for the university education of numerous Congolese students. In 2013 at the General Assembly of the Christian Church the mission board presented him and his wife Sue with an award for distinguished service.
Dr. Johnson retired in 1994 from the Galesburg Clinic, and in retirement he and Sue traveled extensively. They visited all 50 states and more than 50 foreign countries on all 7 continents. They were enthusiastic birders, recording a list of 2,850 species they had observed together. They also enjoyed scuba diving and riding a tandem bicycle, their favorite exercise for more than 35 years. They used their private plane for travel and visiting family. He had 3,000 hours of private flying time when the plane was finally sold. When he could no longer travel after losing most of his eyesight to macular degeneration, Gene became a voracious “reader” of audio books.
Dr. Johnson is survived by his wife Sue Johnson, their three children, Ralph Johnson (Faith) of Madison, WI, Ronald Johnson (Cindy) of Durham, NC, and Carol Johnson of Ithaca, NY, and by 5 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
Dr. Gene lived a very full and satisfying life with Sue at his side. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, physician and friend and will be missed by all those that knew him. A Memorial Service will be planned for later this spring/summer.
Memorial gifts should be directed to the First Christian Church or the Disciples of Christ Global Ministries Health Priorities for the Democratic Republic of Congo. See more at Health Priority for the Disciples of Christ in Congo – Global Ministries.
“I know there will be tears and people with miss me, but that’s OK. I’m very satisfied with the life I’ve had. It’s been a wonderful life.” (Dr. Gene — soon after entering hospice care)
