Ruth Johnson

Ruth A. Johnson was born on March 18, 1945, to John and Helen Green. She passed away peacefully, with her daughters at her side, at Burnett Medical Continuing Care Center in Grantsburg on January 1, 2011, after a long battle with Multiple System Atrophy. She was 65 years old. At the age of five, after her parents passed away, Ruth and her younger brother, Bob (two of thirteen siblings), joined the Arvid and Annie Swenson family in Siren as foster children. Ruth graduated from Siren High School in 1963 and married Donald H. Johnson on July 13, 1963. They moved to Karlsborg and raised three daughters, LaBrenda, Sheila and Debra. Ruth and Donald were married for 45 years until his death in 2009. Ruth had many hobbies. As a housewife and mother, she enjoyed sewing, baking and yes, even cleaning. As the children grew, she used her skills to bless both her family and others as she worked at Capeside Cove Good Samaritan Center as a dietary aide. She loved to work with the children at the First Baptist Church of Falun as a Sunday School teacher and with the Cradle Roll. She organized and directed many Sunday School programs. Ruth had a knack for entertaining, hosting many holidays and family reunions. Each Christmas, she baked many cookies and several types of candy to share with family and friends. She had a special fondness for the outdoors and enjoyed many types of hunting, especially whitetail deer (rifle and bow) and wild turkey. Ruth continued to hunt turkeys, with the help of her son-in-law, even after becoming a resident at CCC. She had a drive and determination to live and enjoy life in spite of the limitations put on her by her disease. Feeding hummingbirds was another passion of both Ruth and Donald. It was not unusual for them to go through 100 pounds of sugar making hummingbird nectar for their many feeders in the summer! Ruth also had a “green thumb.” She spent a lot of time tending to her beautiful flower beds. Ruth was very artistic. She was a very talented painter, a talent she developed later in life and loved to share with others. She continued to paint and created some of her most beautiful masterpieces after she entered CCC. Painting brought much joy and comfort to Ruth and those she shared her paintings with. She also created her own porcelain dolls, molding and painting them, and then sewing custom outfits for each one. A tremendous sense of humor helped Ruth and others cope throughout her life and especially as she struggled with her debilitating disease. Ruth will be remembered for her great smile! Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Johnson; parents, John and Helen Green; foster parents, Arvid and Annie Swenson; brothers Leonard Green, George Green, John (Jack) Green, Bob Green; sisters, Thelma Green, Darlene Wampole, Carol Madsen and Arlene Hanson; foster brothers Donald Swenson and Paul Swenson; along with several special in-laws and friends. Ruth is survived by her daughters, LaBrenda Holmquist (Jeff Lindus), Sheila Robinson, Debra (Scott) Peterson; grandchildren Christopher Holmquist, Carson Holmquist, Ryan Ophus, Chelsey Ophus, Isaac Peterson and Carolyn Peterson; great-grandsons, Tyler Holmquist and Ryder Ophus; sisters Evelyn Rufsholm, Barb (Erv) Moser, Freda (Dever) Green and Marie (Don) Pestka; many other in-laws, relatives and friends. Visitation Wednesday, January 5, 2011 from 5-8 PM at Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home, Webster. Services will be Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 11:00 AM (visitation 10-11 AM) at First Baptist Church of Falun. Ruth will be laid to rest in Karlsborg Cemetery in Lincoln Township, Burnett County, Wisconsin.