Justin Bruce Johnson

HAMILTON - Justin Bruce Johnson was born on November 18, 1988 to Bruce Johnson and Janet (Steele) Johnson in Williston, North Dakota. He joined his sisters, Kristy and Amy, to make the Johnson family complete. When Justin was two, the family moved to Hamilton, Montana. Justin attended Washington, Daly and Grantsdale Elementary Schools, Westview Jr. High and he graduated from Hamilton High School in 2007.

Justin had his own egg business "Justin's Rainbow Eggs" which he sold in the IGA store in Hamilton. Each cartoon contained various colored eggs from his variety of eighty plus chickens, which he loved and tended to every day. On each carton, Justin decorated with his art of catchy cartoons and slogans. They were very popular and some people collected the labels. The Ravalli paper featured Justin in an article about his business entitled "Colorful Commerce". Justin was so happy and proud to have been featured in the newspaper. The article was posted on an autism website and many parents said the article inspired them and gave them hope for their child's future.

Justin was diagnosed with autism when he was three and he had unique gifts. He could produce in an art form any idea he imagined in his mind. He loved watching movies, especially Disney, and he could memorize and recite various characters' lines verbatim along with their personalities. He kept everyone greatly entertained. Along with his chickens, Justin had ornamental pheasants, peking ducks, peacocks, pigeons, doves and a special fondness for the family calico cat Tinkerbell. The family always said that Tinkerbell thought Justin was one of her kittens.

Justin loved spending time outdoors, especially hiking in the mountains while picking huckleberries. He and his dad went several times to the huckleberry festival in Trout Creek, MT. They also took a couple of rides on the Charlie Russell Choo Choo dinner train out of Lewistown, MT. Justin always enjoyed trains and he would run outside to see the train that passed by the back of the family property a couple times a week. He could hear the whistle way before any of us could hear it and he had very keen eyesight as well and was always finding unique treasures to add to his collections.

The year after Justin graduated; he lived in Missoula for a couple of years and worked at Opportunity Resources. He then moved to Billings where he lived for five years and did his art work, first at Aware and then at Job Connections, who helped him get set up in his very own art studio in a historical building in downtown Billings. This was a special dream that was fulfilled for Justin and he was featured in the Billings Gazette. He was super excited about that because more people were able to find out about his art. He always carried his art cards with him "Art from the Heart" so he would be able to give them out to whoever may be interested. He had a huge heart and once you had his trust, you had Justin as your life long friend. He loved blessing people with his gifts of art.

Each Christmas was so special for his family because he would make unique gifts for each of them and a family portrait, which always included Jesus, who was his very best and closest friend. He talked with him daily and would help Justin get through some very difficult times with his autism and seizure disorder. Justin loved going to church and singing praises to the Lord. He dearly loved his pastor, Bob Fox, and his church family at Parkhill Assembly in Billings. In August, Justin had moved to Helena to live in a home at Spring Meadow Resources. He had a wonderful group of friends and staff there and he was so happy. He had recently completed full size murals in the downstairs where he lived of a cave with pictographs as you descended the stairway upon which you entered an aquarium scene in the hallway which lead to another hallway of multicolored designs leading into his studio which he transformed into a magnificent Native American village, each wall showing a different scene. It had always been his desire to complete full size murals and this was another dream he was able to fulfill. He went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, September 30th.

Justin will be so greatly missed by his family and friends. We can't imagine life without him. We take comfort in knowing that he is at home with his Lord and Savior who he longed to see as he often talked about heaven and how he looked forward to being there one day. He especially loved the Heaven Is For Real story and movie.

He has been reunited with his Grandma Jeanette and his Grandpa Howard.

Justin was a gift to us and the Lord decided it was time to bring him home where he wouldn't have any more seizures or his challenges with autism.

He said that even though he had autism, he knew that God used it for a special purpose to touch other people's lives and that he was grateful for the gift of his art. That was his passion and he was in his element when he was creating. It gave him such joy and peace in his life.

Justin is survived by his mother, Janet Johnson; his father, Bruce (Lynelle) Johnson along with Mason and Emily McKenzie; his sisters, Kristy and Amy; his very special nephew and little buddy, Michael along with his Grandma, Jewell Steele; Grandpa, Melford Johnson; Aunt Jody and Uncle Shawn; cousins, Jenna and Brian; Uncle Ron and Aunt Esther; cousins Ryan, Evan and Nathan; Aunt Joy and Uncle Smokey; cousins Ben, Meredith, Beth and Jordan; Aunt Marg and Uncle Duane; cousins Lisa and Katie; Aunt Melanie and Uncle Alan; cousins Russell, Carly, Hunter and Derrick; Aunt Linda and Uncle Donavan; cousins Seth, Dylan and Alissa; Uncle Terry and Aunt Sissy; cousins Jerin, Jory and Jahkota; his special friends, Mike Foss, Peggy Moses, Dan McDonald, Sharon Carter, Susan Sherman, Dwayne Bondy, Diane Reidelbach, Nicole, Mjandra and Abigail along with many others.

His love of the Lord, relationships with his family and friends and blessing people with his art were the most important things to Justin and now that he is in home in heaven, he will be with us here in our memories and in his beautiful works of art. We are looking forward to the day that we will have a sweet and joyous reunion with Justin and we will be together for eternity.