Ernest Steven Johnson, 64, of Ashton, died Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at his home of a lingering illness.

He was born January 18, 1949, in Wendell Idaho to Denzel Olaf and Maria Rue Miller Johnson. He attended high school in Boise and graduated from Boise High School in 1968.

He married Linda Lee Goebel on December 14, 1979, in Greentimber, Idaho. They made their home between California, and Idaho for several years, before moving to Alaska in 1998. After spending several years in rural Alaskan villages, and adopting their son, they moved back to Ashton to be closer to family in 2009.

He was a skilled carpenter and a master of his trade, laying hardwood floors. He was a real people person and found great joy in being around and swapping stories with others, which led him to his restaurant business in Aniak Alaska.

After seeing his last child graduate from high school and head out to college it was time for him to take his wife and move back home to Idaho.

He enjoyed the outdoors and had a habit of always keeping busy. Which is why living in Ashton was so much fun for him, there was always plenty of work to do fixing up the houses and the yard.

Among the activities he enjoyed throughout his life, camping, fishing, darts and gardening, his favorite past time was watching Boise State Football. Anyone who knew Steve would agree that he always sported his Boise State orange and blue attire.

He was diagnosed with cancer in June of last year and spent much of the year in treatment. During this time his brother Cornell and his wife Nona opened their home and their hearts to take care of him during his chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Able to be visited by much of his family, Steve really began to feel the love he had so easily given in the past. He was blessed and honored to see how many people would call, or come by to express gratitude and love.

He is survived by his loving wife Linda of Ashton; children Jessie Jo Johnson, Muranda Lee Johnson, Paul Benjamin Mapel, of Alaska, Vanessa Lynn Johnson, of Ashton; grandchildren Aliya Jade Carver and Lawrence Abraham Steven Nelson (named after his grandpa Steve) of Ashton; Siblings, Cornell & Nona Johnson of Boise, Loretta & Ron Main of Coeur D'Alene, Dolores Fischer of Ventura, California; and numerous nieces and nephews for which he held much love.

Memorial services will be held at 3:00pm on Thursday, February 28, at Baxter Funeral Home in Ashton.

Another memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at the Broadway Dance and Event Center at 893 East Boise Avenue in Boise.