MEMBER PROFILE
by Terry Coleman

Charlie Johnson

As the writer of the Member Profile column, I find that some articles are much more cheerful to write than others. This profile saddens me because I did not get to write it when this person was still among us to enjoy it. The MMSA suffered a great loss of one of its oldest members this February in the form of Charlie Johnson.

Almost anyone who attends the meetings of the Association knew Charlie as a very active and colorful member. Charlie was a very down-to-earth type person who, when having an opinion on a subject, was certainly not afraid to voice it. We call this standing up for your beliefs, and his main belief was that sugar making is a wonderful way of life that needs to be promoted to the best of our abilities.

Charlie's grandson, Bill Bartlett, was gracious enough to share the story of his Granddad with me. Bill has worked in the sugarhouse with Charlie for the past 20 years and has now inherited the farm, where he is still making syrup under the same name.

Mr. Johnson was born and raised in Riverdale, where he spent his entire life on the same farm that's been in the Johnson family since the early 1800's. He attended Michigan State College and graduated in 1937 in the study of agriculture. From that date until the early 1960's he ran dairy cattle on the farm for a living. After selling the cattle, he worked at Frigidaire Corp until 1975. when he retired.

Making syrup was a part of Charlie's life from childhood. Like his father, grandfather, and great grandfather, he made syrup on the family farm until his passing at the age of 80. Bill said that, "Gramps loved syrup making more than words could describe". His entire life revolved around the maple business and promoting maple in general. He went to many of the syrup festivals and was very active with the Shepherd Festival, which was close by. Mr. Johnson actively recruited and brought neighborhood girls to run for candidates for the MMSA Maple Queen position. At least four or five past queens were brought by Charlie. Because he knew several car dealers in the area, he would many times arrange for new convertibles to be donated to drive our queens in parades and festivals. Association gatherings and meetings were a must for this man.

Mr. Johnson was also very interested in. woodlot management which he practiced for several years before it became a hot item among many producers Bill says that the sugarbush is in great condition with many healthy young trees thanks to Charlie’s dedication. From 30 gallons of production in 1857, to around 600 gallons in the 1990's is quite a story for one family.

Although he will be missed by many, Charlie has passed on a legacy and a love for sugaring to his Grandson and hopefully another generation in the future. If we can learn to embrace this business as he did our Association will become as strong as Charlie's love for springtime in "the saphouse".