Carol A Johnson

Carol Andrea Johnson, age 94, of Motley, Minnesota, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on August 1, 2025.

Carol loved the Lord deeply and lived her life in faithful service to Him. She raised three children in a joyful, Christ-centered home, supported her husband Wes’s gospel ministry for decades, held a variety of jobs with diligence and grace, and remained actively involved in her church and community. She was known for her warmth, wit, prayerful spirit, and deep love for her family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, August 22 at Lincoln Evangelical Free Church, 1354 320th Street, Cushing, Minnesota. Visitation with the family will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the service will begin at 11:00 a.m., with lunch following. Pastor Don Reigstad will officiate. The funeral will be livestreamed on the church’s YouTube channel, at https://youtube.com/live/GRHhMUeRXr0?feature=share . No open mic time will be offered during the funeral service; the family would appreciate your sharing remembrances, stories, etc below in the “Guestbook”.

Carol was born on May 11, 1931, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Albert and Jennie Sandberg. She grew up in Minneapolis with her siblings, Eljane and Maynerd, and later moved with her family to Crystal, Minnesota. Carol cherished memories from her childhood - stories of wartime simplicity, playful mischief with her older brother, and the spiritual foundation laid when her father left his job at the Minneapolis Tribune to follow his calling as a full-time gospel minister.

After graduating from Robbinsdale High School in 1949, Carol worked in payroll at General Mills and attended MacPhail College of Music and Northwestern College. In 1952, she married Wesley Johnson. They moved to Chicago where he completed seminary. Together, they raised a family and served in various churches across the Midwest: First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago (1956-1959), Calvary Evangelical Free Church of Rochester, MN (1959-1963), Thief River Falls Evangelical Free Church (1963-1968), and Liberty Bible Church of Chesterton, IN (1968-1976). In Indiana, Carol also worked outside the home, serving as the bookkeeper of Costas Foods in Valparaiso. In 1977, she and Wes moved to Crystal Lake, Illinois where Wes was Superintendent of the Great Lakes District of the Evangelical Free Church of America. With the office’s relocation, they moved to Porter, Indiana. Carol served faithfully alongside Wes in the District offices until their “retirement” in 1995 when they moved to Minnesota. Apple Valley first, and with “full” retirement, to Motley in 2006. Wes passed away in 2020 after their 68 years of marriage.

Carol remained active in her church, deeply invested in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and continually anchored by her faith.

Carol was affectionately known as both “Grandma” and “Bop” - a nickname given by her oldest grandchildren. Her grandchildren hold countless cherished memories of time spent at her house, remembering her as caring, funny, kind, down to earth, a prayer warrior, and a delightful goofball. She was steady, sassy, sometimes brutally honest, and always full of love. To them, she was the strongest woman they knew - always there when needed. Her pantry was famously stocked with Fruit Roll-ups, Gushers, and little boxes of cereal. She had a gift for storytelling, especially tales of Grandpa’s high school girlfriends and how she ultimately won Wes’s heart. She loved crafts, kept fun toys on hand, and always made her grandkids feel they belonged. When they visited, she and Wes would say, “We wish you could stay forever.” Above all, she was a woman of God, and her faith touched everyone who knew her.

She is survived by her children: Larry (Lois) Johnson of Motley, MN; Rick (Jan) Johnson of Kalispell, MT; and Tammy (Brian) Teyema of Barrington Hills, IL. Grandchildren: Lisa (Charlie) Anderson, Kimberly (Charlie) Carlson, Sarah Johnson, Rachel Johnson, Katie VanDixhorn, Matthew (Maddie) VanDixhorn, Alison (Gerrit) Immink, Ashley (Jay) Williams, and Whitney VanDixhorn. Great-grandchildren: Dayton, Camden, Ashton, Waylen, and Hazel Anderson; Eli and Owen Carlson; Maia, Noah, and Judah Johnson-Mendoza; Henry and Cecelia Immink; Sage, Scout, Lewis, and Piper Williams; and Asher Dahmm. Her legacy of love, faith, and service continues through each of them.

She also is survived by her sister-in-law, Marie Hauck of Ramsey, Minnesota, and many many loved nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Brenny Family Funeral Chapel, Staples.

FLORAL INFORMATION: North Country Floral: 218-825-0522