Sharon Lee Johnson

Having accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior as a teenager, Sharon Lee (Edlund) Johnson, born October 20, 1942, went home to live in eternity with that personal Savior and multitudes of other believers in Jesus Christ on March 8, 2018. Sharon died quite unexpectedly after a very short episode, less that one month, of a very, unnoticed by her, weak heart. If you experience shortness of breath, not due to lack of exercise, see your doctor immediately.



Sharon was born in Milwaukee, WI, to Charles and Esther Edlund, both of whom preceded her in death and were waiting to greet her and welcome her to her final home. As a young child her parents moved to the Porterfield, WI area where they took up farming. Through eighth grade Sharon attended a one room school and was very active in 4-H, winning awards at fairs for her sewing ability. When Sharon was about 14 years old, the family moved to Marinette, WI, where Sharon attended high school. She graduated high school in 1960 and began college at Bethel University, then Bethel College, in St. Paul, MN to become an elementary school teacher. She graduated from there in 1965, as we say, ”We crammed four years of college into five". She then taught school in West St. Paul, and “second graders are the best".


She married Richard Johnson, on a Memorial Day weekend, May 28, 1966. Richard was able to get a long weekend pass from Marine Corps training. Two weeks later, at the end of the school year, she moved to Quantico, VA to join him. From Quantico, they went to Ft. Sill, OK, and Coronado, CA, after which Sharon moved to Maplewood, MN and taught school in North St. Paul while Richard was in Vietnam.


After Richard returned from Vietnam, they moved to Kaneohe, Hawaii, where again Sharon taught school for a year and a half, after which they returned to Maplewood, MN. After five years they moved to Schaumburg, IL for three years, then to Arbor Vitae, where she lived 38 years until her death. There she taught school as a substitute and began managing a manufactured home community and a sales operation for manufactured housing, which she did until the time of her death.


Sharon really enjoyed cruising with her husband and went on fifteen cruises, visiting countries in the Far East, including Vietnam and China, Scandinavia, Russia, and a number of Caribbean islands. She enjoyed several trips with her sons, their wives, and all five grandkids. Sharon was scheduled to go on a Christian Gospel Music Cruise in March 2018, but her illness kept her from that cruise. Throughout Sharon’s life she was, beginning in college, involved in the churches she attended. She worked with Junior High School programs, youth ministries such as Pioneer Girls and Awana, and organized ladies’ groups, as well as served on several church boards and committees.


It would not be uncommon to see Sharon passing out Bibles and other literature in her office or spending time listening to another’s problems in life.


In July 2017, Sharon and Richard took a trip to Israel with a group from Bethel University, St. Paul, MN. There she was able to walk where Jesus walked, and now, she is walking with Jesus.


She is survived by her husband,of over 51 years, Richard, her son Brian (Miecke), granddaughter Tegan and grandson Connor of Portland, OR, son Kevin (Paula), grandsons Jacob, Lucas, and Kyle of Fridley, MN. She is also survived by sisters Diane, (Don) Boyle of Schofield, WI, Barbara (Paul) Stekart of DePere, WI, and Beverly (Ronald) Thoreson, of North Fort Myers, FL and a number of nieces and nephews.


A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Faith Evangelical Free Church, 9035 Blumenstein Road, Woodruff, WI, Saturday, March 24, 2018. Visitation at 12:00 p.m., service at 1:00 p.m. with lunch and fellowship to follow.


In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Tomorrow's Home Foundation, 258 Corporate Drive, Suite 200C, Madison, WI 53714.


NIMSGERN FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES IS SERVING THE FAMILY