Walter “Walt” Anton Johnson, 80, passed away on November 15, 2025.
A rosary with a visitation will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 21, 2025, at St. Marks Catholic Church. The funeral liturgy will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2025, also at St. Marks with a private family burial held later.
Walt was born to Anton and Mary Ann Johnson of Raynesford, Montana on January 21, 1945, and was raised with his 7 siblings in the hardworking, ranching lifestyle of a central Montana homestead family. He became a true Montana cowboy who embodied the ethics and spirit of the culture.
By the time Walt was 10, he had developed such a reputation for riding and training horses that his fourth grade teacher hired him to train her horse, and he continued breaking and training into his 70s. He was known far and wide as a horse trader, and he gained a reputation as the guy who "could ride the ones no one else wanted to touch." The flow of horses in and out was continuous at the ranch, and Walt not only made sure the family had good horses to ride at all times, but that people all over Montana were paired with a horse that was a good fit. He rode with many respected trainers and good friends such as Ray Hunt, Monte Roberts, and Les Vogt. In addition to his horsemanship skills, Walt trained as a farrier, while at Cal Poly and shod countless horses through his lifetime. With horses also came a passion for cattle and ranching. He started buying cows in high school and ran cows under his brand in 14 counties in Montana from the Tongue River to the Little Wolf mountains. Walt was always expanding, buying, selling, and taking risks with his cattle ventures. He acknowledged the privilege of being able to have lived the kind of life he always wanted and to have his family for help.
Walt’s college education included studying at MSU Bozeman, MSU Northern in Havre,, and then graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. After college and serving in the Army in Texas, he returned with his bride Vicki (Solberg) Johnson to his grandfather's 1889 homestead where together they continued to expand and operate Neversweat Ranch. He ran joint cattle and horse enterprises throughout his life but had a passion for raising his family, teaching cowboy skills to his kids, many other youth, and serving as an example of faith. Despite the pressures of constant travel, competition, and keeping the family business together, Johnson always placed an emphasis on honoring his Catholic faith. He made it a point that his family could always find time to make it to Mass wherever they were that weekend. He said, “my kids knew where the arena and the Catholic Church was located in every town.”
Walt was an avid team roper and key member of the Central Montana Roping Club (CMRCA), enjoyed competing in and judging ranch rodeos for many years, and served on the Judith Basin County Conservation Board. Walt hosted many team ropings at his arena and made it a gathering place for friends and family. Roping and rodeo were passions Walt excelled in. Walt competed in high school rodeo and placed 3rd at the 1963 NHSRA finals in the bronc riding at Ballantine, Nebraska. He continued to be active in MHSRA by first hauling his sisters and then his 5 kids and several nieces to rodeos, helping them to compete and find success in their high school years, as well as serving the organization as a board member and president. In 2015, Walt was honored as the Cowboy of the Year by the Montana Cowboys Association.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Vicki (Solberg) Johnson; children, Ben (Lisa) Johnson, JJ Meissner, Becky (Walter) Anseth, Lisa (Cory) Jassen, and Brenda Craig; grandchildren, Brady Drummond, Asa Jassen, Clayton Jassen, Reagan Jassen, Luke Jassen, Danielle Meissner, Ginny Meissner, and Adelle Meissner; along with 28 nieces and nephews; and 55 great nieces and nephews. Walt was preceded in death by his parents, Anton and Mary Ann Johnson; sister, Dorothy Johnson; granddaughter, Keely Jay Drummond Schearer; and brother-in-law. Charley Becker.
May Walt live on riding horses in heaven.
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