September 22, 1924 – Thursday, January 30, 2014
Service Information
NO SERVICE TO BE HELD
Visitation Information
NO VISITATION
Roberta L. “Lucy” Johnson, age 89, of Rockford passed away on Thursday, January 30th, 2014 at Park View Care Center in Buffalo.
She was born on September 22, 1924 in Cambridge, Minnesota in a log cabin, the daughter of Clifford & Thelma Paulson Barnhart. Roberta’s mother was raised in an orphanage with her sister Nellie and a brother Carl. Her father Clifford was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In the summer her mom & dad worked on the carnival. They had a large cook house where they fed the people from the carnival as well as the public. In the winter her mother worked as a waitress and her dad drove cab.
Roberta had one brother but he was still born. Her pets were mongrel dogs. When Roberta was fourteen, she got a pair of shoe roller skates for Christmas. That was wonderful! She could go to the rinks and skate without having to rent skates! Roberta also liked to ice skate, but her feet would freeze! She played baseball for many years at school and in the neighborhood. She enjoyed canning. Her favorite subject in school was math. Roberta completed the 10th grade at Patrick Henry High School I n Minneapolis.
She was proud that she got her real estate license by herself, without having to go to school. She became a real estate broker, forming her own company, Wold Realty. We put a lot of deals together. One of the best was when we sold property to the Eagles for their club in northeast Minneapolis. They built a beautiful club!
Curtis Johnson and I met at the roller rink. He was a beautiful skater and we fell in love. We were married on January 15th in Milaca, Minnesota. Our time together was wonderful, one of the happiest times of my life! We were only married for four years when Curt passed away.
I’m was proud of raising my six children: Barry, Lynn, Dick, Cliff, Bonnie and Sally are great kids! They have blessed me with lots of grandchildren and some great grandchildren. Rod Buranen, one of my grandsons, was 16, when his family was coming home from vacation. He said he had a terrible pain on his right side, it was leukemia. His cancer medication bloated him. He loved school, but when he went back the kids made such fun of his weight that he had to quit. He was bullied right out of school and died while he was still 16.
My religious background is Lutheran. I was last a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Crystal, Minnesota. One of my favorite passages from the Bible is The Lord’s Prayer. At the beginning of summer, while my parents were with the carnival and I was still in school, I stayed with an elderly widow who helped me memorize The Lord’s Prayer. My favorite hymn is “Amazing Grace”
The most influential person in my life was my second husband Curtis. He taught me how to live and how to have fun! Being in the nursing home has taught me to appreciate life a little more by bringing more meaning into the lives of others. I believe I was here for that purpose. I would like to be known as a fun loving person who loves others and loves Jesus.
Survived by family and friends.
Preceded in death by her parents, husband: Curtis and by two sons.
No services will be held.
The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo served the family.