January 23, 1943 – March 20, 2026
Mary Ann Johnson, 83 of Bode, passed away Friday, March 20, 2026, at West Bend Health and Rehab in West Bend. Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 10:30 AM at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Bode. Service will be live streamed via Lentz Funeral Home’s website. Interment will take place at St. Olaf Lutheran Cemetery in Bode. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Bode. Services have been entrusted to Lentz Funeral Home of Algona. Online condolences may be left at http://www.lentzfuneralhome.com.
Mary Ann Johnson, the daughter of Magne and Gladys (Harvey) Bjorklund, was born on January 23, 1943 in Eagle Grove, Iowa. Mary Ann was baptized on April 4, 1943 and confirmed on October 27, 1957 at Lake Lutheran church in Renwick, Iowa. She attended school in Goldfield and graduated with the class of 1961.
Mary Ann grew up in a Norwegian household. Her father Magne was the first of three brothers to immigrate from Finnoy, Norway, a small island near Stavanger, Norway. The household was filled with much laughter and music, as Mary Ann and her sister Sonja loved to sing and harmonize. Mary Ann’s love for music remained a constant throughout her entire life, whether it was singing hymns or hits from the 50’s.
June 23, 1962, Mary Ann was united in marriage to Don Johnson at Lake Lutheran Church in Renwick, IA. After renting in the Eagle Grove, IA area, Mary Ann and Don purchased a farm near Bode, IA, where they farmed and raised two children: Julie and Randy.
In addition to being a housewife, mother, and helping with fieldwork, Mary Ann was an active member of St Olaf Lutheran church in Bode, IA. She taught Sunday School for 40 years and was Superintendent of Sunday school for several years. Mary Ann used her amazing artistic talents to bring bible stories to life. She illustrated bible stories for her students and for the women’s prayer group at St Olaf. She also did artwork for various community events in Bode. Mary Ann’s artwork caught the attention of the Humboldt Independent Newspaper, and they wrote a lovely article honoring Mary Ann for her artwork and other church activities. Perhaps one of the reasons that Mary Ann taught Sunday school for so long, goes back to her decision to ride on a roller coaster at Adventureland Amusement Park. She said that while on the ride, she made a deal with God, saying that if He got her through the ride, she would teach Sunday School for another 20 years. And that’s just what she did!
Mary Ann also enjoyed her animals. She had numerous dogs and horses and cats over the years. She shared her love for animals with her children by always having many animals around the farm. If she wasn’t brushing, petting or riding, she was talking and joking around and about her animals.
Perhaps what people remember most about Mary Ann, was her laughter and her big heart for others. She often helped others by taking them to appointments and running errands or just stopping by on her bicycle to say hi and share a Pepsi.
Mary Ann and Don farmed up until 2016 when Don passed away. Only weeks after, Mary Ann contracted West Nile and was hospitalized, transferred to skilled care and was able to come home to the farm with additional care. In fact, Mary Ann had previously gone through breast cancer treatment. She then broke her hip, was diagnosed and treated for Lymphoma, and contracted Covid and was hospitalized. As a testimony of Jesus’ healing power, Mary Ann was healed of each ailment. She was very blessed to be surrounded by Christians who believed in the finished work and resurrection power of Jesus.
As time went on, Mary Ann spent the remaining 3 years of her life at West Bend Health and Rehabilitation There she was surrounded with beautiful caregivers that truly loved her and enjoyed her humorous antics, often saying, “I want to be like Mary Ann when I get old.” Mary Ann’s family is grateful for the care she received there, St Croix Hospice and with Dr Owen.
Left to cherish her memory are her children: Julie Johnson of Bode and Randy (Lori) Johnson of Des Moines, IA; brothers: Arnie (Marcia) Bjorklund of Goldfield, IA and Bernie (Jena) Bjorklund of Mason City, IA and other family members in the US and Norway, along with many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents: Magne and Gladys Bjorklund; husband: Don Johnson and sister; Sonja Bjorklund.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the ministries that Mary Ann enjoyed participating in and supporting over the years.
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