Regina Elizabeth Johnson

          Regina Elizabeth Johnson, age 94 of Ely passed away peacefully at Carefree Assisted Living in Ely on Friday, February 28, 2020.  She was born February 8, 1926 in Virginia, Minnesota, the daughter of Swedish immigrant parents Ernest and Anna (Nordstrom) Johnson. She was a graduate of Virginia High School and attended the University of Minnesota where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics.  After teaching in southern Minnesota and North St. Paul, she began teaching at Ely Memorial High School in 1951.  Regina retired in 1984 after a total of 37 years in Education.  A highlight of her time in Ely included working with the University of Minnesota School of Architecture to re-design and update the Ely high school Home Economics department.  It became a state of the art facility and a model for other high schools to follow.  Regina worked with many student organizations supporting and mentoring hundreds of students during her career in education.

          Regina worked on many committees at Ledgerock Community Church. Originally, the church gathered as the Ely Baptist Church in the home of Bob Sharp. Along with many others Regina worked diligently to grow the church. Those efforts along with their devotion to serving the Lord helped Ledgerock become a dynamic and strong pillar of the Ely community.

Regina enjoyed collecting and reading cookbooks and amassed a cookbook library of over 250 volumes in her heyday.  She played the piano and flute, enjoyed reading, knitting and traveled extensively to Europe and Scandinavia during her summers.

          Regina is survived by her sister Catherine of Bellingham, WA; nieces nephews, extended family and friends.

She was preceded in death by nine brothers: Gustave, Sune, Russell, Alvin, Vernor, Howard, Grant, Peter, Sheldon and one sister: Florence Ulicsni.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, September 4, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at Ledgerock Community Church in Ely.  A gathering time for family and friends will begin one hour prior to the service at the Church. Inurnment will take place in the Greenwood Cemetery in Virginia.

Family services provided by Bauman-Vermilion, A Bauman Family Funeral Home in Tower. To share condolences online, please see: www.baumanfuneralhome.com .

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