Virginia Johnson

1928 - 2021

Johnson, Virginia Rae

MADISON - Virginia Rae Johnson, age 93, of Madison, passed away on Sept. 28, 2021, at Oakwood Village University Woods in Madison. She was born on April 18, 1928, in the town of Preston, Trempealeau County, Wis., the daughter of Otto and Hattie Marie (Indahl) Kroener. She married Alton C. Johnson on Aug. 15, 1959, at Trinity Lutheran Church in La Crosse.

Virginia graduated from Blair High School. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from UW-Madison. Prior to receiving her Ph.D. in 1960, she completed a dietetic internship at Ancker Hospital, St. Paul, Minn., was a dietitian at Kahler Hospital, Rochester, Minn., was head dietitian at Colonial Hospital, Rochester, Minn., was a teaching assistant, Institution Management, in the School of Home Economics, UW-Madison, and received the Mead Johnson Award for Advanced Graduate Education in Dietetics in 1958. After completing her Ph.D., Virginia taught at UW-Madison and MATC, developed new courses in food service administration, served on many committees and was awarded Emeritus status at UW-Madison in her retirement. In addition to teaching, she was a consultant dietitian at Oakwood and at Ingleside Nursing Home, Mount Horeb. From 1975-78 she was a research associate at Faye McBeath Institute of Aging and Adult Life, UW-Madison.

Virginia was actively involved in Midvale Community Lutheran Church for many years. She volunteered with Care Team Ministry both before and for years after moving to Oakwood, coordinating volunteer drivers for those who needed rides. She volunteered assisting many groups in many ways, using her food service and dietetics expertise, including being on the Food Service Committee at Oakwood. She enjoyed reading and liked watching birds, especially cardinals.

Virginia is survived by her sons, Vance Johnson of Jefferson and Brian (Betsy) Johnson of Moscow, Idaho; grandchildren, Erica, Mark, Cora and Heidi Johnson; close grandniece, Emmy; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Alton; sisters, Mae Beth Sherman, Lucille Breyer, and Dorothy Stensven; and special niece, Donna Wheeler.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 12 p.m. at RESURRECTION CHAPEL, Oakwood Village University Woods, with the Rev. Katya Ouchakof officiating. There will be a visitation preceding the service at 11 a.m. at RESURRECTION CHAPEL.

The burial will be private, at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Madison.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Coletta of Wisconsin, N4637 County Road Y, Jefferson, WI 53549, or to Oakwood Foundation, 6209 Mineral Point Road Ste. #200, Madison, WI 53705.

Please share memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Services

3610 Speedway Road, Madison

(608) 238-3434