Thief River Falls – Viola Taimi Johnson, of Thief River Falls, and formerly of Holt, peacefully passed away on Thursday, Aug. 22 at the Thief River Care Center at the age of 88 years, 2 months, and 7 days. May her memory be blessed.
Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013 at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Holt, with Pastor Del Moen officiating. Casket bearers include grandsons: Chad Johnson, Nathaniel Johnson, Jeremiah Johnson, Mark Johnson, Austin Johnson, Jesse Helm and Shane Beuning. Honorary casket bearers included those in attendance.
Interment will follow at Folden Cemetery in rural Holt. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral at the church.
Visitation and prayer service will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at Johnson Funeral Service on Wednesday, Aug. 28, with a prayer service at 7 p.m.                                  .
Viola was born on June 15, 1925 in Spruce Valley Township, Marshall County, the daughter of John H. and Hilma (Wähäoja) Tuura, the youngest of 11 children. She was baptized in her infancy and later confirmed at the Finnish Lutheran church in Middle River, the same church where she was married. Viola attended school, an A student, in the Middle River area. During high school, she stayed at a hotel in town to attend school during the week. It was her dream to go to college and she was accepted, albeit she decided to stay home and help on the farm.                                                                         
Viola was joined in marriage on Dec. 16, 1945 to Francis H. Johnson.  Francis was flipping pancakes at a Holt Boy Scout event and later that evening they met at a dance, Francis still wearing his apron and covered in flour. To this union six children were born; David, Daryl, Steven, Susan, Arlyn and Lisa. They made their home and raised their family on a farm in Holt Township; the couple lived there the rest of their lives.  Francis passed away in the Spring of 2001.
Her main focus was raising her six children and working on the farm.  After her children were grown, she was employed at Digi-Key for over 18 years, retiring in 1996.
She enjoyed shopping, was an excellent cook and baker, loved sewing, needlework and excelled at crossword puzzles.  For 68 years she was a faithful member of Nazareth Lutheran Church and Mary’s Circle.  
Viola lived on the farm until November 2011 then moving to Valley Home Assisted Living.  Relocating to Thief River Care Center in June 2013 where she lived until her passing.
Viola is survived by five children: David (Emily) Johnson of Middle River, Steven (Colleen) Johnson of Boulder, Colo., Susan (Ron) Helm of Newfolden, Arlyn (Asako) Johnson of Okinawa, Japan and Lisa (Stephen) Beuning of Erie, Colo.; daughter-in-law Susie Johnson of Dilworth; 13 grandchildren: Nathaniel, Jeremiah and Mark (Jane) Johnson, Kari (Brian) Moyer and Chad Johnson, Audra (James) Sieradzki, Abigail and Austin Johnson, Jesse (ShawnDee) Helm, Faith Mika Johnson, Alexis, Shane and Carlene Beuning; 12 great-grandchildren:   Elizabeth, Emma, Matthew and Eli Johnson;  Jessica and Amanda Borgen; Gabrielle Johnson; Janelle, James Bryant and Violet Sieradzki; Kayla (Don) Porter and Krista Moyer; one sister-in-law, Ione Tuura; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Francis; son Daryl; brothers Toivo (Lydia) and Arne Tuura; sisters and brothers-in-law: Lempi and Elli Tuura, Jo (Maurice) Norgaard, Esther (Clifford) Monteith, Vienna (Oliver) Grondahl, Laina (John) Wiiret, Helga Tuura, and Helen (Dallas) Robertson.  
Joshua 25:15 “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”    A00003B2013AG28

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