Mavis Johansen

MAVIS LUCILLE JOHANSEN was born to Homer and Edith (Miller) Swanson on April 9, 1928 on a farm near Claremont, South Dakota where she was raised and attended school. After her graduation from Claremont High School in 1946, she continued her education at South Dakota State University. In 1948, she received her Associate in Arts degree with her major in Home Economics. On October 27, 1948, she was united in marriage to Curtis Johansen at her parents’ home near Claremont. Following their marriage, they lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. While living there, Mavis worked at Newbury’s Dime Store. In 1949, they moved back to Claremont and Mavis worked in the office of the Civilian Conservation Corp in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In 1952, they moved to a farm near Wakonda and in the spring of 1962 they purchased a farm by Jasper, Minnesota. During this time, Mavis and Curt also cared for foster children and she was a special “Mom” to many children over a ten year period. After they retired from farming in 1995, they moved into Pipestone, Minnesota. In September of 2013, she moved into Falls Landing Assisted Living where she lived until recently moving into the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone until her death on Sunday, February 7, 2016 at the age of 87 years, nine months, and 28 days.

Mavis was a member of the Church of Christ until its closing, then she attended the Assembly of God and Baptist Churches. As member of the Garden Club, she loved to work in her flower garden which brought a smile to many faces with her colorful gardens and the constantly changing themes on her giant chainsaw carved squirrel in her yard. Mavis was a member of the Golden Days Scooter Club in Pipestone. She especially enjoyed baking and many people will remember being recipients of her baked goods. Always a gifted seamstress, she enjoyed sewing thousands of custom doll clothes until she lost her vision due to macular degeneration. Music always played an important part in her life, whether it was teaching or witnessing for her Lord by playing the accordion or piano for residents of area nursing homes for many years.

She is lovingly remembered by her four children, Kevin (Rae) Johansen of Mound, Minnesota, Kent (Donna) Johansen of Slayton, Minnesota, Linda (Gary) Groth of Pipestone, Minnesota, and Larry (Lory) Johansen of Valley Springs, South Dakota; grandchildren, Aaron (Sarah) Johansen, Travis (Kyleigh) Johansen, Carrie (Travis) Loch, Nicki (Chad) Veenendall, Michael (Sarah) Johansen, Katie (Parker) Madill, Brady Johansen, Amy (Mike) Bottolfson, Jodi (Mike) King, Jason (Stephanie) Johansen, and Jeremiah Johansen, Steve (Jamie) Stamp, Dave Stamp, Paul (Lety) Stamp; great-grandchildren, Andrew Johansen, Clara, EllaMae and Rosalie Johansen, Avery, Grayson, and Easton Veenendall, Sydney and Reese Johansen, Norah Madill, Julia and Parker Bottolfson, Anthony Brown, Mikayla King, Katelyn, Ryley and MacKenzie Johansen, Derrick Jansma, Micah Casey, Makana and Tyson Stamp, Kayden Stamp; two sisters, Marcia (Harlan) Hieb of Mitchell, South Dakota and Sharon (Hank) Thompson of Rapid City, South Dakota; sisters-in-law, Sharon Swanson of Bentonville, Arkansas, Carol (William) Peterson of Urbana, Illinois, Shirley (James) Routin of San Antonio, Texas, Beverly (Marlin) Winkelman of Marshall, Minnesota, and Marilyn Johansen of Wakonda, South Dakota. She was preceded in death by her husband, Curt; her parents; her brother, Curt; brother-in-law, Marvin Johansen; twin siblings, Bob and Betty; and an infant brother, Warren.