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Elaine J. Johnson

April 4, 1932-May 5, 2019

Elaine J. Johnson, 87,

Minot, ND, passed away

Sunday, May 5, 2019, in a

Minot hospital.

Elaine Joyce Kopecky

was born April 4, 1932,

the daughter of Albert and

Emma (Pesek) Kopecky,

in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Later that year, they

moved to a farm near Ta-

bor, MN, where she at-

tended a county grade

school. She graduated

from the Northwest

School of Agriculture in

Crookston (a branch of

University of Minnesota)

in 1950. She was elected

Homecoming Queen her

senior year. In April of

1950, she went to work

for Implement Dealers

Mutual Insurance Co. in

Grand Forks and met her

future husband. She

worked there until 1954.

Elaine married Charles

“Chuck” Johnson August

8, 1952, in Grand Forks,

ND. They made their

home in Grand Forks un-

til May of 1957, when

they moved to Minot.

Charles had a real estate

office (Central Invest-

ment) and insurance of-

fice. She worked as his

secretary from 1966 to

1972. She then went to

work for Minot Federal

Savings & Loan (later

known as Midwest

Federal Savings Bank) and

worked in several depart-

ments for 19 years ending

her employment as the

executive secretary.

She had been a member

of the Professional Secre-

taries, Int. and National

Association of Bank Wom-

en. She was a Brownie

Leader and was a Secre-

tary of the Edison PTA

while her children were

in school.

She and Charles had

three children, Gail

(Mike) Merck and Susan

(Lonnie) Heth, both of

Minot, and Alan Johnson,

Sugar Land, TX. They had

four grandchildren, Jason

(Ricole) Merck, Stefanie

(Tyler) Neether, Megan

(Kenton) Kossan, and An-

drew (Mikalyn) Heth; all

of Minot.

Great-Grandchildren, Jay-

cee and Lainey Neether,

Bridger Kossan, and Alexa

and Alysa Rice.

The family spent many

summers at their cabin on

MacKay Island at Lake

Metigoshe. She was an ex-

cellent cook and baker.

She had her favorites but

was always trying new re-

cipes. She enjoyed gar-

dening, her flowers, bird

watching, crossword puz-

zles, embroidering dish

towels for her children

and grandchildren and

watching her grandchil-

dren at sporting events.

She started her personal

computer training at the

age of 75 and enjoyed

sending and receiving

emails.

Elaine enjoyed the

friendships she made

while taking Aerobics at

the YMCA, playing Bridge

and living at The View.

She was a member of First

Lutheran Church in

Minot.

Charles passed away

August 27, 2004. She was

also preceded in death by

her parents; and brother,

Donald.

She is survived by: her

children and grandchil-

dren; sisters, Adeline

Qualheim and Alice Liza-

kowski, both of Grand

Forks, ND; brother, Philip

Kopecky, Grand Forks,

ND; sister-in-law, Nita

Johnson; and several

nieces and nephews.

Funeral: Saturday, May

11, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at

First Lutheran Church,

Minot.

Interment: Rosehill

Memorial Park, Minot,

ND.

Visitation: Friday from

5 to 7 p.m. at

Thompson-Larson Fun-

eral Home, Minot.

Memorials: are pre-

ferred to the Children’s

Discovery Center in Minot

or to First Lutheran

Church in Minot.

Those wishing to sign

the online register and

share memories may ac-

cess the online obituaries

section at www.thompson

larson.com.