Johnnie Archuletta, 97, of North Platte, passed away peacefully at his daughter’s home on Sept. 13, 2023.
He was born Oct. 6, 1925 in Thompson Springs, UT to Jose and Soccoro Archuletta. Johnnie attended school at Thompson Springs, UT; Moab, UT; and Carbon County High School, UT.
A early special graduation in his senior year was held for 18 year old men to graduate and to be inducted into military service for World War II. He was assigned to Fort Douglas in Utah. He served in World War II from 1943 to 1946. A majority of his time was served in the Philippines and New Guinea. He also served in the Korean War from 1951 to 1952. He was privileged to be able to fly on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. in 2017. He was also the recipient of a Quilt of Valor in 2020. He was very proud of his service in the military and considered it an honor to serve his country.
Johnnie married Josephine Quintana on Nov 18, 1946 in Greeley, CO. To this union three children were born: Phillip, Richard, and Deborah. They lived in Cheyenne, WY where he began his 40-year career with the Union Pacific Railroad. He was transferred to North Platte in 1949, retiring in 1986.
He liked to stay active with fishing, riding his bike to work, gardening and growing peaches in his backyard and playing with his grandchildren. He was a man of many talents ranging from cooking, carpentry to mechanical. He was very meticulous about his yard as evidenced by winning a yard of the week award. He enjoyed listening to music from the Big Bands era of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Family was very important to him and he was a loving and caring father. Johnnie loved all of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren dearly, but shared a special bond with his two grandsons that lived in North Platte: Cosmo, Jr. and Johnathan. He also had a special relationship with the Mike and Donna Coleman family, including their children Debbie, Michele (John), Dawn and Michael (Jennifer). He had a special place in his heart for all children and people needing help. He will always be remembered as a very soft-spoken man who never said a bad word about anyone.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Josephine; brothers, Jim, Tony, Albert, and Stanley Archuletta, Alfonso (Andy) Ybarra; sisters, Rose, Margaret, Josephine, and Adeline; and grandson, Cosmo Contreras, Jr.
Survivors include his children, Phil (Betty) of Gladstone, MO, Rick (Rita) of North Platte, Deb (Johnny) Navarrete of North Platte; eight grandchildren, Scott Archuletta, Matthew Archuletta, Kelly (Jeff) Dodd Hay, John (Anni) Archuletta, Jim (Amy) Archuletta, Terri (Ben) Studley, Johnathan (Ashley) Navarrete and Angela (Reagan) Shopp; 17 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; brother, Peter (Sherry) Aperges of Salt Lake City, UT; and other family members.
Graveside services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Maxwell, Nebraska with military honors graveside. Book signing will be 9-5, Tuesday, September 19 at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home who is assisting the family.