Diane Frances Johnson (nee Grove)

Diane was born on December 29, 1933 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was the middle of three children to Margaret (nee Rosseland) and Guy Grove. She attended grade school at Tilden and later Murray High School, where she met the love of her life, Marvin Johnson. Their first date was on a hay ride at Aamodts Apple Farm in Stillwater and later to a powwow. Marv enlisted in the US military and was sent to Europe during the Korean Conflict. During that time, Diane went to school at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter and obtained her nursing degree. They were married at Como Park Lutheran Church on October 26, 1956. After high school, She began her nursing career as an OB/GYN nurse in St. Paul. After moving to Forest Lake, she worked at District Memorial Hospital, Birchwood Care Center, and lastly at St. Mary’s Riverside Hospital. She and Marv had two daughters, Gayle and Karen, who they raised in Forest Lake. The family loved being on the water boating, skiing, and swimming. When they were not spending time on the lake, they enjoyed traveling as a family, especially to Captiva Island, Florida. Diane was a great host and she and Marv enjoyed entertaining gatherings for family and friends at their home on the lake. They enjoyed trips to Norway, Sweden, across the U.S., the Caribbean, and Canada. After Marv passed in 1994, Diane continued to travel to England with Gayle, Italy with Karen,with different groups to wine country, New Orleans, Florida, and many more places. She enjoyed shopping and antiquing whenever possible. Diane had a delightful sense of humor and loved spending time with her four grandchildren. Her family was the most important thing to her and she will be dearly missed by them all. At her fiftieth high school renunion, Diane reconnected with a classmate, Fred Swenson they became close partners until Fred's death 14 years later.

Diane passed away on Sunday, May 21, 2017 with her daughters and her family by her side. She is preceded in death by her parents, Margaret and Guy Grove; her brother, Guy Grove; husband, Marvin W. Johnson; her brother-in-law, Dick Tyson; special friend, Fred Swenson; and sisters-in-law. She is survived by her daughters, Gayle (Pat) McCann of Dellwood, and Karen (Rick) Reidt of Stillwater; brothers-in-law; her four grandchildren, Courtney Rozalyn McCann of St. Paul, Lise Leigh (Nick) Tschida of Stillwater, Emily Margaret Reidt of Stillwater, and Andrew Guy McCann of St. Paul; her sister, Audrey Tyson; brother-in-law, Denis Bakke; and many other family and friends.

There will be a private gathering and service for family on Thursday, May 25, 2017 at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi. Interment to take place at Elim Cemetery in Scandia. In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to Brighton Hospice or to St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.