Dorothy Magdalena Johnson

Dorothy Magdalena Johnson passed away at John C. Lincoln Hospital in Phoenix, AZ on February 25, 2009. She was surrounded by her family at the time of her death. The Mass of Christian Burial for Dorothy will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake. Fr. Michael Schommer will celebrate the Mass and burial will be in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Monday, March 2, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a Rosary, led by the Catholic Daughters of America and Scripture Service to follow beginning at 7:00 p.m. Visitation on Tuesday will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral Mass. Dorothy was born on February 18, 1935, the daughter of Michael A and Frances Axtman Schmaltz in Rugby, ND. The family lived in Balta, ND until she was 4 years old when they moved to Devils Lake. She graduated from St. Mary’s Academy as salutatorian in 1953 and graduated from the Mercy School of Nursing in Valley City in 1956. Her nursing career included positions at Mercy Hospital, Devils Lake and Valley City, college nurse at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, and school nurse at ND School for the Deaf in Devils Lake. In 1972, she was sponsored by the Lake Region Clinic to attend the first Family Nurse Practitioner program at University of North Dakota Medical School. She became certified and was employed by the Lake Region Clinic from 1972 until 1995, when she retired. Dorothy married Vernon J Johnson on April 7, 1958. They moved to Phoenix in 1996 to be near their children and grandchildren. Dorothy was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America and St. Catherine’s Circle of the Altar Society while in Devils Lake. During her career she was active in the American Nurses Association and the ND Academy of Physician Assistants. For several years, she coordinated the Diabetes Youth Outreach Program for Eastern ND. Dorothy was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Devils Lake and joined St. Jerome Parish in Phoenix. Dorothy is survived by her son, Vern Johnson and Duane Mantey (Partner) of Phoenix AZ; daughter, Tena (Dennis) Hilleren of Glendale AZ, and grandchildren Jacob Hilleren, and Beth (Mike) Generalli. Also surviving are brothers, Jerry, Fargo, ND and Tim, Andover, MN; step-sister, Ann Ragel, Simi Valley, CA; special cousin Bob Axtman, Grand Forks ND; and sister-in-law, Shirley Schmaltz, West Fargo. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband Vernon on December 23, 1999; sisters Helen and Lucia and brother, Clem.