Lillian Johnson Obituary
Lillian Viola Johnson, 97, of Lake City, died Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, at Mayo Clinic Health System - Lake City Care Center.
She was born on Dec. 5, 1918, in Mapes, N.D. to Nels and Carrie (Wold) Flom. She was the eighth of 10 children. Growing up on the farm, she attended a one room school house until the eighth grade. Lillian also helped her mother cook for the family and the threshing crews. She learned to make lefsa on the old cast iron wood stove, a tradition she carried on for over 60 years. In 1938, Lillian followed an older sister, Prudence, to Chicago where they worked as domestics. They were later joined by a younger sister, Vernille. The three sisters then worked for a radio manufacturer that made walkie talkies and radios for the war effort. After the war Lillian moved back to Grand Forks, N.D. where she met and married James L. Johnson, who was attending the University of North Dakota on the GI bill. They were married on Jan. 2, 1947. They made their home in Grand Forks until 1950 when Jim graduated with a degree in engineering and took a position in Lake City. Lillian was a leader for the Camp Fire Girls for 30 years and served on the Camp Fire Board. She was an active member of First Lutheran Church and the American Legion Auxiliary in Lake City.
Lillian is survived by daughters, Marybeth (Casey) O’Neil of Lake City, Patricia (Robert) Osiecki of Lake City, Diana (Mark) Larsen of Veseli, Minn., and Karen (Bill) Gleason of Mound, Minn.; six grandchildren, Terry and Tim Partington, Shane (Amber) Christopherson, Sarah (Andy) Wolfram, Charlie Larsen and Colton Gleason; six great-grandchildren, Jasmine, Ashli, Drew, Carter and step great-grandchildren, Mela and Jane. She was preceded in death by her husband, James; her parents; five sisters, Myrtle, Alice, Prudence, Vernille and Carol Jean; four brothers, Joe, Ole, Maynard and Neil; and one grandson, Brady Gleason.
Memorial service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 at First Lutheran Church in Lake City. Burial will be in the Bethany Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Funeral arrangements are by the Mahn Family Funeral Home, Anderson-Peterson Chapel in Lake City. Online condolences may be sent to www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com.