Margaret Ellen Johnson

Margaret Ellen Johnson, 102, died peacefully on May 30, 2023, at her daughter’s home in Chicago, Illinois. Born on March 13, 1921, in Duluth, Minnesota, Margaret was the daughter of Arthur and Mabel Pearson of 12th Street. She graduated from Denfeld High School in 1939 and earned an associate degree in business from North Park College in Chicago in 1941. She worked at the Duluth school board until marrying Arnold Warren Johnson of Duluth in 1948.

The couple lived in Houston, Texas as Arnold finished medical school and Margaret worked for the school board there, then moved to several locations as Arnold served the United States Army as a physician (and psychiatrist) for 35 years.

Margaret moved home to Duluth with their first of four children in 1950 while Arnold served as a battalion surgeon in the Korean War, then the family grew as they moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, Fort Hood Texas, Aurora, Colorado, Fort Knox, Kentucky, San Rafael, California (during this time Arnold served a year in Vietnam), Landstuhl Germany, Potomac, Maryland, and after Arnold’s army retirement, to Simsbury and Cromwell, Connecticut, before Margaret moved to Chicago, Illinois in 2020.

Margaret didn’t complain about multiple moves, rather lived as if such a life was an adventure and a privilege. She involved herself in community life in every location. She made and kept many friendships, despite the relocations. A person of Christian faith, she served each church the family attended, whether they found nearby her Swedish heritage the Evangelical Covenant Church, or the Army Chapel when the family lived on base. As a military wife she supported women individually and as a leader of women’s organizations both in church and military settings. She served in school parent-teacher associations. A hostess extraordinaire, she often opened their home to family, friends, church fellowships, and Arnold’s department colleagues.

For years Margaret and Arnold drove the family from where they lived to grandparents in Duluth and Pike Lake, Minnesota every summer, exploring our country, camping and visiting along the way. She was a gardener and in retirement she and Arnold enjoyed travel. In her advanced years Margaret continued to visit with many friends, serve in the chapel, the gift shop, and on committees in her senior community. She loved everyone in her large family as new generations arrived. Margaret was predeceased by her husband Arnold, who died in 2005 after 57 years of marriage, her parents, her two brothers and one sister-in-law Willard (Eileen) and Ray Pearson, Arnold’s sisters and their spouses Aileen (Kenneth) Bergquist and Alice (Stuart) Kortebein, her daughter-in-law Suzanne Johnson, and one great-granddaughter Violet.

She is survived by her sister-in-law Carrie Pearson of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, her four children: Peter (Tanida) Johnson of Catonsville, Maryland; Linda Holmlund of Loveland, CO; Nancy (Wallace) Ebner of Chicago, IL; Philip (Wendy) Johnson, of Boise, Idaho, and her Thai daughter Duongchan Charoenmuang of Chiangmai, Thailand, thirteen grandchildren: David, Eric, Laura, Carrie, Karen, Daryl, Mark, Ben, Ellen, Juli, Curtis, Mingla and Mike, nineteen great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

Margaret is remembered by her family as a caring and loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother who was so good about remembering birthdays, and supportive of each one’s adventures in life.

Margaret will be buried with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. A service will be held at that time.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: Swim with Mike Foundation, www.swimwithmike.org , P.O Box 51000, Pasadena, CA 91115

and

Alaska Christian College, alaskacc.edu , 35109 Royal Place, Soldotna, AK 99669

Margaret’s obituary, video and fond memories can be found at www.drakeandsonfuneralhome.com

Memorial video for Margaret can be found using this link: https://clipchamp.com/watch/mekxpjiz1wt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=watch