Sandra Kay Johnson

In 1942, Sandy and her siblings and their widowed mother, with the help of her uncles, drove 500 miles from Nebraska to Spooner, Wisconsin. During the trip, the older kids sometimes had to get out of the car to help push it up a hill. They made it and settled in amid the farms and lakes of northern Wisconsin. Sandy eventually went to a one-room schoolhouse in the township of Evergreen and then graduated from Spooner High School in 1957.

After graduation, Sandy moved to South Sioux City, Nebraska, to live near her sister Helen. Not too long after that, Sandy met a young airman from West Virginia, Philip Johnson. Sandy and Phil were married in April of 1959 in Sioux City, Iowa. After Phil’s discharge from the Air Force, again following family, they found their way to Circle Pines and Lexington, where they raised their kids and made their home for over 60 years.

Sandra Kay’s home was one where you could almost always find kids. Neighborhood kids found it a welcoming and fun place. After that first batch of kids grew up and moved away, Sandy happily helped with her nieces’ children and her own grandchildren. While her children and grandchildren were heavily involved in afterschool activities, especially sports and music, Sandy was a constant and very supportive presence. Especially with their grandchildren, Sandy and Phil would plan their time away from Circle Pines to make sure they were always there for a band concert or a football game.

Sandy had a lifelong passion for animals. She loved gardening and attending to her flowers around the yard. She and Phil spent a lot of time outside together. Their trips around the USA often involved state and national parks. And even on their frequent trips to West Virginia or Spooner, they would work in a stop at a place or two to take in some of the natural beauty they found everywhere in their travels.

Family was the most important thing for Sandy. She was part of a close-knit family, something she passed on to her children. She was preceded in death by her husband of over 60 years, Phil; her mother Ruth Jones Root; her siblings Merle, Hank, Helen, Leo, Betty, and Jack, and their spouses. All of her in-laws from all sides of her family who have preceded her in death were loved by her as sisters and brothers.

She is survived by her children Randy, Becky (Dave) Arney, Mike (Rebecca) and Deb; grandchildren Zachary, Kayla, Austin, and Amanda; sister Jane Christofferson; and a whole bunch of nieces and nephews from all over the country.

A memorial service for Sandra will be held Saturday, April 9, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Gearhart Funeral Home, 11275 Foley Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN, with visitation one hour prior beginning at 10 AM. Burial will follow at Morningside Memorial Gardens, 11800 University Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.gearhartfuneralhome.com for the Johnson family.