Mary Elizabeth (Vanheel) Johnson

Mary Johnson, of Maynard, died on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at the Granite Falls Municipal Hospital at the age of 79.  Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, September 22, 2007 at 1:30 P.M. at the Maynard Lutheran Church with Rev. Mary Hovland officiating.  Interment will be in the church cemetery.  Visitation will be Friday afternoon and evening with the family present from 5:30 - 7 PM and with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo.

Mary Elizabeth (Van Heel) Johnson was born on July 7, 1928 in Winsted, MN to John and Elizabeth (Scherman) Van Heel.  She grew up in Gluek, MN and attended school at St. Clara Catholic School in Clara City, MN.  On May 15, 1948 she was united in marriage to William LeRoy Johnson in Webster, SD.  She lived most of her lifetime in the Gluek/Maynard area with the exception of a year in Idaho.  They owned and operated Bill and Mary’s Café in Gluek for a couple of years before they moved to Maynard.  She was an active member of Maynard Lutheran Church and served on the altar guild.  She was a  member of the Kitchen Queen Homemakers, sewing club, a couple of card clubs, the Senior Citizens and worked at the meal site.  She enjoyed card playing, Saturday night family card games, fishing, gardening, sewing and especially her grandchildren and great grandson.

She is survived by four daughters: Mary Dahna Heyd and her husband Wayne of Maynard, MN, Brenda Ruter and her husband Vern of Princeton, MN, Judy Lee and her husband Bradley of Maynard, MN, and Patty Johnson of Maynard, MN; one son, William J. Johnson of Maynard, MN; four grandchildren: Donnie and Rachell Mahlum and William H. and his wife Toni Johnson and Mitchell Johnson; a great grandson, Damian Johnson; two step-grandchildren: Bobby Ruter and Michael Ruter; one step-great-grandson, Tyler Ruter; five sisters: Millie (Jerome) Artmann of Minnetonka, MN, Betty (Wilbert) Macziewski of Montevideo, Carmella (Robert) Peterson of Isanti, MN, Audrey Otis of Wayzata, MN and Dorothy (Bob) Manning of Blaine, MN; a brother, John (Laurel) Van Heel of Sturgeon Lake, MN; as well as by numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bill in 2003; a step-granddaughter, Cassie Lee; a son-in-law, Louis Wieber; a brother, Gervase Van Heel; and by a sister, Ann Doeskin