Rosa Johnson

A. ROSA JOHNSON was born on February 28, 1926 to Reinert and Tilda (Akersmyr) Tofteland in Luverne, Minnesota. She was raised on the family farm near Kanaranzi, Minnesota. Her family spoke Norwegian at home and she had no English skills when she started attending the nearby one-room school. She graduated from Luverne High School in 1943 and then furthered her education at Worthington Junior College where she completed a degree in medical records in 1945. Rosa was united in marriage to John Gordon Johnson on August 11, 1946 at Zion Lutheran Church in Luverne. The couple lived in Worthington until 1948. During this time, Rosa worked in medical records for Tellander-Hagge Medical Clinic. In 1948 they moved home to Luverne, living in an apartment for a short time before buying a basement house from John’s brother. They built their home on that foundation in 1952 and continued to reside there until 2006 when they moved to Warren Street. Upon their move to Luverne, Rosa stayed home for a period to be with her young children. In 1960, she took a job as a window designer and eventually the assistant director of catalog sales at JC Penney until 1971. Johnnie preceded her in death on November 18, 2010 and Rosa continued to reside at their home on Warren Street. On Saturday, December 8, 2012, Rose died peacefully at the Sanford Luverne Hospital at the age of 86 years, nine months and ten days.

Rosa was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and then Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne after the merger of the Norwegian Lutheran Church and other synods to form the ELCA. At Grace she taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, and was a member of the Esther Circle and the Grace Lutheran Church Women. Rosa maintained a strong connection to her Norwegian heritage, serving with the organizations AgderLag, the Sons of Norway, and the VFW Auxiliary.

Rosa had a passion for the arts and enjoyed painting, drawing, music, poetry and reading.

Rosa will be lovingly remembered by her children, Dennis Johnson and his wife Sandi of Eugene, OR, James Johnson and his wife Mary Beth of Sioux Falls, SD, and Barbara Stensland and her husband Carson of Bemidji, MN; six grandchildren, Angela, Lisa, Rebecca, Sarah, Nathaniel and Emily; 13 great-grandchildren, Chloe, Benjamin, Natalie, Sophia, Shon, Keisha, Maya, Landon, Annika, Connor, Asher, Keegan and Brady; sisters, Helga (Wayne) Hoffman of White Bear Lake, MN, and Lily (Ray) Hartmann of Boulder, CO; and brothers-in-law, Lloyd Johnson of Albert Lea, MN, Erling Tofteland of Luverne. Rosa was preceded in death by her loving husband of 64 years, Johnnie; her parents; and two brothers, Arthur and Arnold Tofteland.

Memorials are preferred to the 'Johnson Family Scholarship' at Luverne Dollars for Scholars Program, PO Box 822, Luverne, MN 56156.