Kathy Johnson
Kathy Johnson, age 63, of Olivia, MN, died Saturday, January 23, 2021 at the Olivia Hospital following a courageous battle with cancer. A private memorial service will be held Saturday, January 30th at 2:00 p.m. at Cross of Calvary Lutheran Church in Olivia with Rev. Matt Hausken officiating. Burial will be at a later date in the Ada Cemetery, at Ada, MN. A public visitation for Kathy will be at the church Saturday January 30th from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Arrangements are with Dirks-Blem Funeral Service
The 2:00 p.m. service will be live-streamed and those details will be added on the funeral home’s website prior to that time.
Katherine (Kathy) May Johnson was born December 14, 1957 in Ada, MN, to Alvin and Elva (Arnold) Peterson. She attended school in Park Rapids and Long Prairie, MN, where she ultimately graduated High School in 1976. Kathy arduously worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant her entire career. She selflessly provided healthcare to those in need at various nursing homes throughout Minnesota, including the Long Prairie Nursing Home, Central Todd County Care Center in Clarissa, MN, and Parkview Village and Olivewood care facilities in Olivia, MN. Kathy was united in marriage to Scott Johnson on June 5, 2004 at Cross of Calvary Lutheran Church in Olivia, MN.
Kathy’s greatest accomplishment in life was the raising of her three children, Amber, Cody, and Kelsey. For a time, Kathy was faced with the punishingly demanding task of single-handedly raising three young children on a nursing assistant’s salary. Through tremendous sacrifice, Kathy always provided her children with a roof to shelter them, bellies full of food, a mountain of gifts under the Christmas Tree, and a care-free and laughter-filled childhood to never be forgotten and to forever be longed for. Even when presented with the seemingly impossible task to support her children’s ambitious pursuit of education, Kathy was able to support and witness the prestigious academic successes of each of her children throughout their High School, Undergraduate, and Graduate level careers.
When she wasn’t working, she enjoyed doing crafts, making diamond pictures, sewing, cooking, and baking, especially making chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and cakes. She also enjoyed her flower gardens, the MN Vikings, and following the Augustana University men’s basketball team. She will be fondly remembered for being a selfless mother with an unbreakable work ethic, her spitfire attitude, her kind smile, and contagious laugh. Kathy had endless love for her family, being such a caring, devoted, and loving wife and truly, a very proud and loving mother.
Kathy is survived by her husband Scott Johnson of Olivia; her three children: Amber (Collin) Authier of Tea, SD, Cody Thorpe (significant other Marlyn) of Minneapolis, MN, and Kelsey Thorpe (fiancé Tyler Carroll) of Sioux Falls, SD; her siblings Steve Peterson (significant other Cindy), Wanda (Leonard) Sunram, Bobbi (Eric) Poissant, and Bill (Rita) Peterson; mother-in-law DeLores Johnson; brother-in-law Tim (Deb) Johnson; sister-in-law Lisa Johnson Wright; brother-in-law Patrick (Deb) Johnson; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her grandparents; parents; brother Dale Peterson; sister-in-law Anneta Peterson; father-in-law Tom Johnson; cousin Julie Konichek; and many aunts and uncles
Blessed Be Her Memory
