Mary Kay Johnson

Mary Kay Johnson, 71, of Cook, MN passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 21, 2018 at the Care Free Living center in Cook, MN. Her husband and her friends were by her side.

Mary Kay was born on January 22, 1947, to Robert and Florabelle (Peterson) Hanson in Albert Lea, MN. She grew up and graduated from Albert Lea High School where she would start dating her future husband, Michael Paul Johnson, in the fall of her sophomore year. Mary Kay and Michael were married on February 19, 1966 and remained loving to one another for over 52 years until the time of her passing.

Mary Kay attended Austin Community College and eventually graduated from the University of Phoenix at the top of her class as a Critical Care Registered Nurse. She was a nurse at the Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea for a short time until her family moved to Arizona in 1986. She then became a nurse at the Casa Grande Regional Medical Center, eventually retiring from there in 2008 as the hospital’s Employee Health and Infection Control Nurse.

Mary Kay was very active and faithful to the Catholic Church. She and Michael hosted and prepared fish frys to raise money for the church and the local Catholic school while in Casa Grande, Arizona. Mary Kay and Michael continued their love of giving by cooking hundreds of pounds of barbecue rib dinners to benefit St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cook, MN. Mary Kay’s home was always open to God, sunshine and friends.

Mary Kay was preceded in death by her parents; Robert and Florabelle Hanson, her in-laws;   Herbert and Marguerite Johnson, and a brother-in-law; Thomas Johnson.

Mary Kay is survived by her husband; Michael P. Johnson of Cook, MN; her two children: Mamie (Dan) Krueger of Gilbert, Arizona, and David (Carol) Johnson of Casa Grande, Arizona. She is also survived by her five grandchildren: Andrew Krueger, Ryan Krueger, Tanner Johnson, Emily Krueger, and Ethan Johnson.

A Catholic Prayer Vigil and Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 26, 2018 from 6-8PM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Cook, MN. Prayer Vigil will be held at 7PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at 11:00AM at St. Theodore Catholic Church, Albert Lea, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in Graceland Cemetery, Albert Lea, MN. To leave an online condolence visit www.mlakerfuneralhome.com or www.bayviewfuneral.com