Lorraine E. Johnson

*** The visitation for Lorraine will continue as scheduled today, Friday, January 18. The family asks that you use your best judgement in whether to attend this evening and, if necessary, for friends or family to simply attend the funeral tomorrow morning. ***

Lorraine Elene Elenior (Foss) Johnson was born to Elmer J. and Laura (Ellert) Foss on March 15, 1924 on a farm outside of Ihlen, Minnesota.  She was raised and received her education in Jasper, and went to work at Ray’s Cafe and at the Air Force base in Sioux Falls until she married Vincent Omund Johnson on March 9, 1944 in California. They moved to Pipestone in 1946 and soon Lorraine was busy raising her five children, babysitting for others, and volunteering with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, American Legion Auxiliary, American Red Cross, foster parent (27 years), ambulance crew, CPR instructor, food shelf, hospice house and Progress. Lorraine made caring and helping others a tradition in her life.  There are so many things she did on a daily and weekly basis that we could not list all them all.  Lorraine is an inspiration and wonderful role model for her family and for the community.  She received the American Red Cross Cynthia Wedel Award in 2005 for her “distinguished volunteer service” and the Pipestone County Senior Citizen Award in 2011.  Throughout the years, Lorraine’s employment included working as a home health aide, election judge, swimming pool bathhouse worker, census taker, Hiawatha Manor (20 years), and Ewert Recreation Center.  She was working at Culligan Water Service two weeks before she entered Avera McKennan Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on January 3, 2019. She then entered the Pipestone County Hospice House on January 12, 2019 where she died on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at the age of 94 years and 10 months.

Lorraine was an active member of First Lutheran Church in Pipestone and never stopped wanting to help-however she could. She loved spending time on her front porch talking (whether in person or on the phone) and watching her solar babies.

She is lovingly remembered by her children, Daniel (Ozie) Johnson of Lyle, MN, Charlotte (Michael) Spencer of Bella Vista, AR, Dean (Sandi) Johnson of Fridley, MN, Daven’s widow, Diane Johnson of Sioux Falls, and Christel (Mark) Scherff of Glendale, AZ; 11 grandchildren, Dan's children: Daniel Johnson, Jr, Laura (Chad) Pestorious, and Tina Johnson, Charlotte's children: Tamara (Thomas) West, Nicole (Kyle) Hatlestad, and Bradley (Heather) Spencer, Dean's children: Hope Johnson, and Shane Johnson, Daven's children: Dusten (Tara) Johnson, and Tyler (Danielle) Johnson, and Christel's daughter: Marissa Scherff; 20 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and many special friends.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Vincent; son, Daven; her parents, Elmer and Laura; two brothers, Darrell and Jake Foss; and her only sister, Joyce Croegaert.