Obituary of Rose-Marie Helen Ljungkull Johnson

Rose-Marie Helen Ljungkull Johnson, came into this life in the spring of 1935, and went in fall of this year. She grew up with four brothers, Lars, Herb, Gunnar and Rolf, and her favorite sister Greta. She spent most of her youth in St. Paul. Then she married Jim and followed him to New York City for grad school, after which they settled in Minneapolis. They rented a small bungalow, had two kids—Shersten and Andre—then moved to the house on 50th Street and 1st Avenue after Genevra was born. Bruckner came along after a few more years, and the family was complete. 

    Rosie raised her kids for several years, then she took her prodigious skills as a cook out of the house and into the workplace. She worked with her friend Elaine as a caterer, cooked in several restaurants around the Twin Cities, and even worked at a summer camp in a kosher kitchen. After moving to her empty-nester home near Lake Nokomis and retiring from cooking, she worked on her collections and a variety of puzzles. She lived a robust life filled with music, laughter, fierce independence, and love.

    Much of Rosie’s family, including husband Jim, all four brothers, and two nephews Joel and Jon, preceded her in death. Her sister Greta and sister-in-law Jean; nieces and nephews Sara, Chris, Jane, Marta, Gus, Jo, Elisabeth, Erika, Louisa, and Margie; daughter-in-laws Karen and Laura; grandkids Marianne, Gania, Renee, Phil, Anna, Frank, David, Erika, Josie, Roland and Sofia; and great grandchildren Jackson, Gavin, Pippa, Brayden, and Owen; as well as her children, remain to carry on the memories of Rosie’s life.

A memorial open house will be held Saturday, October 23rd from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Cremation Society, 4343 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis.