Lillah Johnson, 82

Lillah Johnson, 82, of Lancaster, Minnesota passed away on
Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 at the Kittson Memorial Healthcare Center
in Hallock, Minnesota after a long battle with cancer.  Lillah
Mardell Goodrich was born December 2, 1929 at Greenbush, Minnesota to
Charles and Julia (Nesland) Goodrich.  Lillah was baptized at Zion
Lutheran Church, Greenbush and confirmed at Our Savior’s Lutheran
Church, Grygla.  She graduated from Greenbush High School in 1948 and
attended Thief River Falls Teachers’Training.  After graduation she
taught school at Caribou District 81 South, then at Grasslake School
in Roseau County and later at Happy Corner School in Kittson County.
She was united in marriage on September 5, 1953 to Ray Lowell Johnson
at Zion Lutheran Church rural Greenbush.  Ray and Lillah farmed for a
number of years with his father and mother, Oscar and Karin (Carrie)
Johnson.  They later purchased the farm and raised Registered Polled
Hereford cattle.  During that time they held several production sales
on their property which were attended by buyers from Canada and
several states.  In April of 2007 the farm was sold and they built a
home in Lancaster where Ray continues to live.  Ray and Lillah have
been active members of Sion Lutheran Church where Lillah served as
president and treasurer of WELCA.  She also served as a Sunday School
teacher for numerous years and as a member of church council.  Lillah
served as the treasurer of Cannon township for a number of years and
in the 1960’s put her teacher’s training back to use serving as a
teacher’s aide at Lancaster Public School.  In 1991 the couple was
honored with being named the Valley Farmer and Homemaker.  Lillah was
also a member of the Lancaster Lions Club and the American Legion
Auxiliary for a number of years.  For many years she belonged to the
McKinley Homemakers Club and held a number of officers positions,
both locally and county-wide.  
    Lillah is survived by her husband, Ray; four children and their
spouses, Lowell Johnson and Diane (Missy) McFadden, Minneapolis,
Karen and Roger Asselin, Brooks, MN, Kevin Johnson and Carol Beecher,
Lancaster and Michelle and Nasir Mukhtar, Houston, TX; as well as a
special family friend, Lorna Vujnovich; grandchildren, Carrie (David)
Edmondson, Christopher (Ashley) Johnson, Zakeria Mukhtar and Sophia
Mukhtar; six great grandchildren; a sister, Nellie Storhaug, Thief
River Falls,MN and a brother-in-law, Kenneth Peterson, rural
Lancaster, MN and many nices, nephews, relatives and friends.  She
was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter-in-law, Paula
(Grube) Johnson; sisters, Challotta and Adeline; a brother, Basil and
brothers-in-law, Elmo Lusignan and Robert Storhaug.
    Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, March 26th, 2012 at 10:30
a.m. in Sion Lutheran Church, Lancaster.  Interment will be in
Riverview Memorial Garden Cemetery, Lancaster.  Visitation will be
held at the Austin Funeral Home in Hallock on Sunday evening from 6
to 8 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m.  
www.austinfuneralchapel.com