JoAnne Johnson

JoAnne Johnson, age 92, of Cannon Falls, died peacefully at home on Thursday, February 24, 2022.

JoAnne Gustafson Johnson was born on January 8, 1930, in Red Wing, MN, the daughter of Edward and Frances (Larson) Gustafson. She has been a lifelong resident of the Cannon Falls area. JoAnne grew up on her family’s farm in White Rock. She graduated from Cannon Falls High School in 1947. On May 28, 1949, she was married to Merle Johnson in the Vasa Lutheran Church. Merle and JoAnne lived most of their lives in Cannon Falls and for a short time in Randolph, on Lake Byllesby. She began working for Kid Duds as an operator in 1948 and became a designer of children’s pajamas in 1968. She retired from there in 1991.  JoAnne and Merle enjoyed their retirement to the fullest spending many winters on the beach in New Smyrna Beach, FL and spent much of their summer lives at their cabin in WI. They especially loved having family enjoy the cabin with them.

JoAnne was a person of deep faith and was an active member of First English Lutheran Church and participated in circle and bible studies. She also took advantage of modern technology and “attended” church and bible studies in New Jersey. She enjoyed doing many kinds of volunteer work, like sewing quilts for charity, “superhero capes” for sick children and reading to kids in the schools. She was a former member of the Rotary Club. JoAnne traveled quite a lot for work and made many trips to Manhattan, New York. She was an avid reader, an excellent seamstress and loved cooking and hosting large family gatherings. She will be remembered as a kind, compassionate woman who was generous and loving to all.

Survivors include her children, Jack (Carol) Johnson, Michel (Shirley) Johnson, Mary Kay (Tim) Johnson, and Lorinda Johnson; grandchildren, Luke (Kelly) Johnson, Erik (Lily) Johnson, Mark Johnson, Rachael (Scott) Sorby, Daniel (Angela) Johnson, Anna Marie Johnson, John Olson, Katherine Olson, and Jessica (Randy) Odman; great-grandchildren, Gage and Bella Sorby, Rhys and Tesla Johnson, Kai and Freya Feinstein-Johnson, and Oryn and Ryder Odman; sisters, Sharyn Sorenson and Carole Lindell; as well as many nieces and nephews.

JoAnne was preceded in death by her loving husband Merle, her parents, her brothers Donald and Richard Gustafson, sister Beverly Cooper, sisters-in-law Marilyn and Milly Gustafson, and brothers-in-law Richard Cooper and Sterling Sorenson.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at First English Lutheran Church, 511 W. Belle St, Cannon Falls. There will be a visitation on Wednesday, March 23 from 4-7:00 pm at Lundberg Funeral Home, 5839 Hwy 19 Blvd, Cannon Falls. The visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday. JoAnne’s memorial service will be live streamed and can be viewed on the link below.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to First English Lutheran Church or to the organization of donor’s choice.