John E. (Johnny) Rasmussen, 94, Maddock, ND, passed away Tuesday, January 27, 2015, at Heartland Care Center in Devils Lake, ND. Services will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at North Viking Lutheran Church in Maddock, ND with Pastor Allen Campbell officiating. Burial will be in the North Viking Lutheran Cemetery, Maddock in the spring. Family Service will be Friday at 7:30 p.m. with visitation beginning at 5 p.m. at the Nelson Funeral Home in Maddock. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Casket bearers will be Bruce Georgeson, Brock Georgeson, Richard Slater, Gavin Foss, Dean Sorlie, Clark Slater and Dennis Backstrom. Music will be provided by Rachel Markestad, Roger Hill, Karen Hill, Mike Rasmusson, Marlowe Rasmusson, Stephen Rasmusson and Tom Rasmusson.
John E. (Johnny) Rasmussen was born May 15, 1920 on the family farm in rural Maddock, ND the son of John Sr. and Clara (Erickson) Rasmussen. He attended school in Maddock and college at Wahpeton, ND. As a young man he ran the custom harvest route. He was united in marriage to Joyce Anderson Fragodt on November 28, 1964 at North Viking Church in Maddock. The couple farmed for many years in the Maddock area. They raised purebred Angus cattle and hogs. John had a special mechanical ability and could fix or repair anything on the farm. He enjoyed spending time at the farm watching his crops and livestock grow and still kept up to date with farming technology and improvements until his death. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and made numerous large outdoor toys for their enjoyment. He lived by the motto "it could be worse".
He was a supervisor for the North Central Soil Conservation district for 38 years, member of the North Central Planning Council at Devils Lake, director of the Maddock Farmers Grain Co., North Central Experiment Station at Minot, board member of the Benson County Crop and Livestock Ass'n. for 12 years, and a past member of the Benson County ASCS in Minnewaukan. He taught Sunday school and served on the church council of the North Viking Church for several years.

Survivors include his wife, Joyce Anderson Fragodt Rasmussen of Maddock, ND; three daughters, Jill (Dan Durkos) Rasmussen of Ocala, FL; Janet (Greg Mastrud) Rasmussen West Fargo, ND; Jennifer (Jeff) Hagen of Esmond, ND; grandchildren Michaela and Carter Mastrud of West Fargo, ND; Gunnar, Grant and Gracie Hagen of Esmond, ND; two step-grandchildren, sisters Anna Rasmusson of Fergus Falls, MN and Donna Buletti of Meredith, New Hampshire and special friends Bruce, Roxann and Brock Georgeson. He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Jane, brothers Roy and Donald Rasmussen and sisters Alice Pierson and Helen Rasmussen.