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Carol Fay (Keuhn) Johnson, 92

Carol Fay (Keuhn) Johnson, 92, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, died Monday, October 10, 2011, at Emmanuel Nursing Home, Detroit Lakes, under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley.
 
Carol was born on February 21, 1919, at Millgrove, Mercer County in Misssouri to Charles and Bessie (Ellsworth) Keuhn. The family moved to Hamilton, North Dakota, when Carol was six years old. From there the family moved to different farms near Hallock, Karlstad and Greenbush, Minnesota. Carol graduated from Karlstad High School in 1937.
 
During the summer of 1937, Carol met Harold Johnson when she picked raspberries at his dad’s farm, where raspberries were raised commercially. With the assistance of Harold’s sisters who made a beautiful mock wedding cake of cardboard frosted with soap, a romance was soon kindled.
 
Carol and Harold were married on December 31, 1937 at her parents’ home in Lind Township of rural Greenbush. They were married for seventy-two years until Harold’s death in 2010.
 
Except for a short time in Clinton, Iowa, early in their married life, they lived in Hereim Township on the Walsh Homestead next to his parents’ farm until 1959. They then moved to Alexandria and Detroit Lakes because of Harold’s job with Cenex and Central Exchange. Carol was a mother of five, a homemaker, an excellent seamstress and her husband’s farm helper. In 1953 she was baptized and confirmed Lutheran.
 
In the late 1960s, after raising her family, she worked outside the home to help with college expenses. At the age of sixty-seven Carol shot a ten point buck. After Harold’s retirement they spent summers farming the “eighty” originally part of his parents’ land. They continued picking rocks, mowing lawn, raising a garden, including raspberries until 2006.
 
Krub, venison gourmet and lefse will never be forgotten, even down to the great grandchildren. Carol and Harold moved to assisted living in Detroit Lakes shortly before her 90th birthday because of Harold’s failing health. She entered Emmanuel Nursing Home shortly before her death.
 
Carol is survived by her children, Myrna Johnson, of Greenbush, MN; Gerald (Pearl) Johnson, of Crookston, MN; Sharon (David) Hanson, of Seattle, WA; Bonnie (John) Nordstrom, of Pelican Rapids, MN; and Janine (David) Schneider, of Detroit Lakes, MN; eleven grandchildren, Jack Sovde, Tim Sovde, Steven Sovde, Julie Johnson, Janelle Thompson, Paul Johnson, Krista Knutson, Matt Nordstrom, Sally Shaefer, Adam Schneider and Blaine Schneider; eighteen great grandchildren, three great great grandchildren, one brother, Kenneth Keuhn of Carlton, MN; one sister, Frances Lang of Bloomington, MN; and many nieces and nephews.
 
Carol was preceded in death by her husband, Harold, granddaughter, Carol Lynn Sovde, brother, Keith Keuhn, sisters, Bea Hutchinson, Christine Hallberg, Genevieve Homstad and Lila Wink.
 
Visitation: Friday, October 14, 2011 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at West-Kjos Funeral Home, Detroit Lakes, MN with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m.
 
Funeral Service: Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at First Lutheran Church, Detroit Lakes, MN
 
Interment: Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at Bethel Cemetery, Greenbush, MN
 
Arrangements have been entrusted to the West-Kjos Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes. Those wanting to share memories and condolences may use the messages of sympathy section at (www.westkjos.com).

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