Obituary of Lois Mae Johnson

Lois Mae Johnson (Carter) 97 passed away peacefully at Chris Jensen Health Center on February 21, 2021. Lois was a strong and independent woman long before it was the social norm. She worked outside the home from an early age. She first worked at Duluth Motors and later at the University of Minnesota-Duluth School of Dentistry. Lois was an exercise enthusiast. She enjoyed walking and jogging with friends. Lois had an adventurous spirit and more than once waded chest-deep in the waters of local trout streams with her grandsons. She also loved swimming at her home on Bergen Lake and using the sauna that she and her husband Bob built. Lois was a talented artist and enjoyed carving birds and ducks. In her last years, Lois was an avid reader and enjoyed playing games on an iPad with friends at St. Anne’s Residence where she was featured in a television commercial. Lois was a survivor. She even survived being infected with Covid-19 at the age of 96, but she ultimately succumbed to the isolation that paralleled the deadly pandemic.

She was preceded in death by husband Robert R. Johnson, parents Esther and Henry Carter, brother Robert Carter, sisters Marjorie Bakke and Lucille Wick. She is survived by her loving daughter Laura Tonkin and devoted son-in-law Tom Tonkin both of Duluth; two grandsons, Erik (Rhonda Mazza) Tonkin of Portland Oregon and Paul (Emily) Tonkin of Duluth; five wonderful great-grandchildren; brothers Henry (Betty) Carter and Charles (Darlene) Carter both of White Bear Lake; and many nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.

Burial will be at Fort Snelling Cemetery alongside her husband. There will be no service per her request.

Her family would like to thank the dedicated staff at Chris Jensen and St. Croix Hospice for their compassion.