Obituary of Thelma A. Johnson

Johnson, Thelma A. Age 91, of Brooklyn Park, MN, passed away March 18, 2016. She was preceded in death by parents Knut and Sonja Burgeson (nee) Karlsson, husband Maynard, and daughter Susan who was buried in Ethiopia. Thelma was born in Saugus, MA. After some difficult years for her family during the Great Depression which included some time spent in Klingberg Children's home in New Britain, Connecticut, she graduated from Bristol High School in Bristol, CT. She had an adventurous spirit from the start, her brother remembered that "when her dad took the family to the 1940 New York World's Fair she was the one begging to go on the parachute ride". She attended Bethel Jr. College, A.A., where she met her husband to be and then attended Univ. of MN, where she received her B.S. in Elementary Ed. 1950. Appointed as a missionary by the Baptist General Conference, she and her family served in Ethiopia for two decades, much of the time in a Leprosarium in the Ginde Beret district where she helped found and teach in the Mukadima Elementary School. She also faithfully supported her husband for the 10 yrs when he was the Pastor of the Franklin Avenue / Shalom Baptist Church, Hutchinson, MN starting in 1973. She taught elementary school in Hutchinson thereafter until her retirement. Thelma returned with her husband to Africa for another mission in Ndu, Cameroun in 1992. She was a devoted Christian and remained involved in church work late into her life. Thelma was a kind and loving mother who seemed to always wear a smile and did her best to balance her work life and family responsibilities. In retirement she lived in Minnesota and Florida. Thelma is survived by her brothers Oscar Burgeson and Arthur Bergeson, children Timothy, Daniel, Allan and Ann (Kastner) and ten grandchildren, Summer Allen, Derek Kastner, Amanda Kastner, Britta, Naomi Price, Sara Kangas, Brady, Davis, Sydney and Adam, one great grandchild Arthur Price. Arrangements made through Cremation Society of MN - Brooklyn Park Chapel 763-560-3100. Visitation will be at Edinbrook Church, Brooklyn Park on Friday, March 25, 2016. Services will begin at 11 AM with a visitation one hour prior. Interment at Ft Snelling Cemetery. Memorials preferred to Menschen für Menschen whose work includes the support of the school Thelma helped found in Mukadima, Ginde Beret, Ethiopia.