Tony Johnson

As told by Tony's mom, Patty.

Tony was the only one killed in a car carrying three people as they were leaving a graduation kegger at a friend's farm. Authorities estimate that the car took a curve on Hwy. 408; 8.8 miles west of Fairfield, at 90 miles per hour. The driver lost control on gravel that spills onto the highway at an irrigation canal and flipped. Tony and a female passenger were thrown out. The two survivors claimed Tony had been driving that day and they successfully sued Tony's family for negligent malice. After seven long years, it was settled out of court. There were questions that resulted from Tony's autopsy; his injuries would have made it impossible for him to be driving.

Tony's mom remembers: "All I knew was Tony was in an accident. My sisters ran me to the hospital in Great Falls; five of my sisters were there. Nobody ever really came and told me what happened. I though that Tony's friend Michael had been killed. When his parents walked in, I grabbed hold of Michael's mom and prayed. His parents had seen Tony's body but they never said anything. I didn't know my son was dead. When I called my husband and told him everything was okay, he got beeped in on by his brother Mike. Mike had just identified Tony's body and he told him Tony didn't make it. It was all kind of a blur."

Tony loved football; he and his brothers, Sean and Jeremiah would spend hours in the yard [and hallway] all padded up, playing the game. Tony's coaches named him "the Deuce" since his jersey, now retired, was the number two. His younger brother also played and had the number one so I called them "Thing One and Thing Two" as in Dr. Seuss.

July 7, 1981 -

May 29, 1999