County fair names Johansens as Honored Citizens

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

Scott and Laurel Johansen have been named Emery County’s Honored Citizens. They will ride in a float in the Emery County fair parade on June 11 beginning at 10 a.m. Laurel wasn’t too thrilled with the idea as she doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, but a float riding with all her grandkids sounded fun.
Laurel recently retired from the Utah Department of Health where she was a registered nurse working out of the Southeastern Utah Public Health Department in Castle Dale. She spent many years caring for school children in the county and assessing their health. If you’ve ever received a vaccination in Emery County chances are Laurel was the one on the other end of the shot.
Most of all she enjoys time with her husband and family.
Laurel’s daughters had this to say, “Almost a year ago my dad sent his first and only group text, he informed his five children that he had been diagnosed with leukemia. He instructed us to not worry about him, but to focus on supporting our mom, who would need it the most. He turned out to be wrong. My mom is everything to our family. She’s a brilliant nurse who has triaged, consoled and diagnosed many. She’s a forceful school board president who navigates conflict. She’s the cook who can throw together a multiple course meal on a moments notice. She always has an assortment of desserts available to anyone who visits. She’s a seamstress who can sew a dress and duplicate it without a pattern or instructions.
“Her talents are many and they have benefited many. But some of her most important traits are those that only her five children experienced. She’s the one we could run to with our injuries, physical or emotional. She worked part-time but was committed to being there when we got home. We knew that we came first. She’s that spiritual stalwart that taught us how to seek God. She taught us how to navigate the complicated social situations we found ourselves in with our fellow junior high classmates and then with work colleagues and with our toddler children. She’s saved our bacon by overnighting Halloween costumes or tailoring fancy dresses for formal events.
“This year has been a difficult one for our family. My dad’s illness has changed everything. But through it all we’ve had a mother who continues as she always has to be that pillar of strength as we experience the storms of life. While she faces the possibility of losing her companion, she reassures us kids that everything will be OK. She’s acted as an advocate for my dad as he has had to make difficult medical decisions. She’s balanced between tough love and sympathy as my dad has coped with the extreme physical and mental burden of leukemia and its myriad of treatments.
“It hasn’t been my mom who has needed the most support in this difficult year, she’s the one who has offered support to all that she sees faltering. She does so in the most unselfish way possible as she and her husband experience the most difficult trial they’ve encountered. Mom, we love you. You are our example of motherhood, sainthood and womanhood. As we raise our own children, our appreciation of your sacrifice and wisdom increases,” said her children.
Judge Scott Johansen recently retired as well from his tenure as the Seventh District Juvenile Court Judge for the past 24 years. He became the judge in 1992 after serving as the Emery County Attorney for 13 years.
Judge Johansen was fair in his duties as the judge, and also gained the respect of those he served. Judge Johansen enjoyed his work with the court staff, lawyers and the people in the community. He served Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties. In 2014 he received the Chancellor’s Medallion Award at the USU Eastern Commencement exercises.
He received a law degree from the J. Reuben Clark College of Law at Brigham Young University in 1977 and practiced with the Price law firm of Frandsen, Keller & Jensen from 1977 to 1979. He served as city attorney for several cities and towns in Carbon, Emery, and Sanpete counties and is a former president of the Utah Association of Counties. Judge Johansen is a past chair of the Board of Juvenile Court Judges, past chair of the Judicial Council’s Policy and Planning Committee, past member of the Sentencing Commission and the Judicial Council. He is the son of the late Eugene and Grace Johansen. They were well loved teachers in the Emery County School District.
In the mid 1990s, after a shooting case, Judge Johansen was one of two who transformed the system by helping to create the Juvenile Sentencing Guidelines and also by helping to secure significant amounts of funding for the system to be used in the hiring of probation officers and in funding services for those involved in the justice system.
When Judge Johansen wasn’t busy with court, he enjoyed time on the cattle ranch and riding horses with his family.
Laurel and Judge Johansen have 19 grandchildren.
Emery County is lucky to have these fine citizens as part of the Emery County community. Congratulations on being named the honored citizens of the Emery County fair days.