Ardyce Marie (Swanson) Johnson

LAUREL — Ardyce Marie (Swanson) Johnson, 90, Laurel, died Aug. 25, 2021, at Hillcrest Care Center, Laurel, surrounded by her loving family.

Funeral services were Aug. 31 at Concordia Lutheran Church, Concord, with Vicar Deb Hammer officiating.

Burial was at the Concord Cemetery, Concord.

Visitation and a prayer service were Monday at church, and continued Tuesday, one hour prior to services at church. Arrangements were under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home, Laurel.

Pallbearers were her grandsons and nephews, Kris Krie, Mark Johnson, Brad Johnson, Chad Johnson, Mike Noecker, Nate Noecker, Jayce Johnson, Regg Swanson and Lon Swanson. Honorary pallbearers were her granddaughters, Trisha Reifenrath, Alissa Thompson, Christina Sees, Jorie Kosel, and niece, Ann Scholl.

Ardyce was born May 4,1931, at Wayne, to Emil and Clara (Goldberg) Swanson. She grew up on a farm north of Wayne. She attended Cozy Nest (District 58) country school. She graduated from Concord High School in 1948, and attended Wayne State College. She married her high school sweetheart, Evert Johnson, Dec. 16, 1950, at Concordia Lutheran Church. They had four children, Lynette, Brent, Bruce and Carla. They farmed for 52 years on the Goldberg family farm south of Concord.

Ardyce was a lifetime member of Concordia Lutheran, where she was baptized, confirmed and married. She was active in Junior Missionary, Luther League, Married Couples, WELCA, Dorcas Circle and sang many years in the church choir. She led Bible Study at Hillcrest Care Center, was a 4-H leader and taught many to sew, cook and bake. She was a member of the Merry Homemakers Club. She worked many years as a bookkeeper and at Nutrena Feeds, Wayne, retiring in 1997. She sold Mary Kay for many years. Faith, family and friends where especially important to her. She loved spending time with family, and enjoyed attending her grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s games and performances. She enjoyed attending LCC Bears sporting events and was a huge Husker football and volleyball fan. If she wasn’t watching sports on TV then she was watching the game show station. Her family loved her baking and cooking, especially her cinnamon rolls, turtles, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake with caramel frosting, ham balls and mashed potatoes.

She enjoyed traveling with her husband and family, and loved spending time at Bruce’s cabin at Leech Lake, Minn. You could find her reading, doing puzzles, word searches, playing board games and cards. She even got good at Zooming.

She is survived by her four children, Lynette and Doug Krie, Laurel; Brent and Penny Johnson, Concord; Bruce and Vikki Johnson, Fargo, N.D.; Carla and Don Noecker, Hartington; 11 grandchildren, Kris Krie, Trisha Reifenrath, Alissa Thompson, Mark, Brad and Chad Johnson, Jorie Kosel, Jayce Johnson, Mike and Nate Noecker, and Christina Sees; 25 great-grandchildren; two more great-grandchildren, due in December and March, and two great-great-granddaughters; and in-laws, Lyla Swanson, Wayne; Doris and Jim Nelson, Laurel; Leon and Linda Johnson, Broken Arrow, Okla.: Delwyn and Fern Johnson, Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Mary Johnson, Allen; and many nephews, nieces and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Evert; and brother, Ernie Swanson; in-laws, Marlen and Suzie Johnson, Phyllis and Dean Salmon, and Duke Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer memorials to the family to be designated to Ardyce’s favorite charities.