Obituaries & Tributes

Jean Elizabeth Johnson: Nov. 13, 1924 – March 30, 2021

Jean Elizabeth Johnson, 96, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother, passed away March 30, 2021 of natural causes at the home of her son Mark and his wife Pam in Springfield, Ore.  

Jean was born Nov. 13, 1924, to Charles “Ralph” Arms and Mattie (Anderson) Arms in Minneapolis, Minn. Jean was the middle of three daughters, and her older sister Ruth “Ruthie” (Cotterman) and her younger sister Virginia (Porupsky) grew up in Minneapolis. Her parents also owned a cabin located near Mound, Minn., on Lake Minnetonka. She also enjoyed special vacations with her aunts Minnie, Carrie, Hazel and grandmother Arms.

After graduating from Roosevelt HS, Minn., in January 1942 she worked at the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant in Ramsey County, Minn., inspecting 50-caliber cartridges for WWII. 

Jean met the love of her life Donald Johnson in 1944, who was home on leave from the Army Air Force and both were attending the 25th wedding anniversary of some family friends. She married Don on Aug. 17, 1946, and for their honeymoon they took the train to Chicago. A family of four sons followed: Craig (1948), Duane (1949), Neil (1952), and Mark (1953). During the period of 1946-54 the family lived at several locations in the Minneapolis area. In 1954 they bought their first home in New Brighton, Minn., and lived there until 1960. In 1960 they moved to Albert Lea, Minn. 

In 1961 Don got a job with Weyerhaeuser and they moved to Cottage Grove, Ore. In 1966 the family moved to Eugene, where she lived in the same home on Charnelton Street until November 2019, and then moved in with her son Neil and family, and subsequently with her son Mark and wife Pam.  

After her children were grown, she held several jobs in the Eugene area which included being a housekeeper for a University of Oregon fraternity and her last 14 years before retirement was spent working for Sacred Heart Hospital Dietitian Services. Jean was a member of five clubs, multiple bridge-playing groups, 50-years with Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, and was a member of United Lutheran Church for 55 years. 

Thanks and appreciation is extended to the staff of Cascade Health and she was very fond of Becca and Stephanie.

Jean was preceded in death by Don, her husband of 59 years (died June 14, 2005), her sisters Ruth and Virginia, daughter-in-law Susan, and grandchild Elizabeth “Beth” Johnson. Jean is survived by her four sons: Craig (partner Marliss), Duane (wife Prisscella), Neil (wife Elvira), and Mark (wife Pam). She is also survived by 13 grandchildren (Alexandra, Audrey, Bret, David, Erik, Heather, Jen, Jerad, Kyle, Margarita, Margo, Mathew, and Rachel); 13 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She is also survived by one niece and two nephews; Beverly Johnson, Byron Johnson and Douglas Johnson.

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