Obituary of Katherine Louise Johnson

Kay Johnson, 83, passed away February 12, 2024, at Trails of Orono in Orono, Minnesota. Kay and her husband Gary were together, and she went peacefully.

She was born January 8, 1941, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, to Merlin and Dorothy Schleuder. She graduated high school from Austin High School where she met her future husband Gary Johnson at the county fair. She then attended the University of Minnesota to be with Gary. They were married in August 1961, and soon after built a house in Wayzata where they lived for forty-one years and raised their three children.

Kay had many interests throughout her life and was an active member of St. Phillip the Deacon Lutheran Church. She enjoyed sewing and knitting - especially for others - creating prayer shawls for church, blankets, hats and mittens for infants, and so many unique and cherished sweaters, Christmas stockings and blankets for all of her children and grandchildren, and really any child she knew!

Time with her family, her brother’s family, and Gary’s brothers’ families were her favorite times. She and Gary loved walking and being in nature, spending time in Grand Marais, Negril, San Diego, Bayfield and with family in Chicago. She continued to teach us about the power of love up to her last moments, and her giving heart lives on in each of us.

Kay was preceded in death by her son, Brad, and her parents, Merlin and Dorothy. She is survived by her husband Gary, her brother Jim (Sue), her children Jana (Clay) and Tim (Trisha), her grandchildren Forrest, Elizabeth, Olivia, Eric and Everett.

Special thanks to her Trails of Orono community and caregivers.

The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to their favorite charity in Kay's name or to a charity close to her heart, the ALS Association.