John Robert Johnson, 96, of Gays Mills, passed away on Friday, March 29, at home, surrounded by his children.
John was born to Monroe Johnson, a Norwegian-speaking farmer, and Elsie Haven Johnson, a German-speaking immigrant, on Buck Creek Road atop the Ferryville bluffs on January 29, 1928, the fifth of nine siblings. Elsie, who was a respected midwife, went into labor unexpectedly, and delivered the slightly premature John alone, perched on her kitchen table. The family settled in Gays Mills when John was a child.
Special thanks to St Croix Hospice, Vernon Manor, Father Tom of St Mary’s Church, and Dr. Kyla Lee.
Visitation will be held at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Gays Mills from 10 a.m. until noon on June 15, followed by a funeral Mass. A luncheon will then be held at the old Community Building, at 212 Main Street in Gays Mills.
