Rebecca Jane Johnson, age 69 of Lake Mills, died on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at her home in Lake Mills, surrounded by her loving family and friends with the comfort of St. Croix Hospice.
Becky fought a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
A service to celebrate her life will be on Monday, October 2, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Salem Lutheran Church, 401 S. Lake St. in Lake Mills, with Pastor Randy Baldwin officiating.
There will be a visitation Sunday, October 1, 2023, also at Salem Lutheran Church, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM and will continue one hour prior to the service on Monday. Her service will be livestreamed on the Schott Funeral Home website. Go to www.schottfuneralhomes.com, click on Becky’s Tribute Wall, and you will find the link to the live webcast.
Rebecca Jane (Starks) Johnson was born on August 14, 1954 in Owatonna, Minnesota to parents Donald and Jane (Leudtke) Starks. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and graduated as the valedictorian of the Owatonna High School Class of 1972. Becky went on to attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Campus for dental hygiene, graduating in 1975, once again, first in her class.
It was at the U of M where she met a young dental student, and the two began their lives together. Shortly after graduation, Rebecca was united in marriage to Keith Johnson on September 27, 1975, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna, Minnesota. They were blessed with two children and seven grandchildren.
In December of 1977, Becky and Keith moved to Lake Mills and opened their own dental practice, and they have been proud, active members of the Lake Mills community ever since. Becky has volunteered on many city and school committees, delivered Meals on Wheels, and served as a hospice volunteer for many years.
Becky has touched and enriched so many people’s lives, and she will never know what big shoes her tiny feet have left to fill. Becky’s friends miss having a companion for golf, daily walks, Jazzercise, old car cruises, card clubs, and quilting together. Friends at Salem Lutheran Church and members of the Miriam Circle miss her presence during activities and service projects. Thankfully, the Angel Tree at Salem is an annual reminder of Becky’s love and faith.
Becky’s family remembers her the way she was, before her illness. Bubbly, up-beat, vibrant, selfless, giving, caring, and especially loving are all words that can be used to describe the wife, mother and grandmother she was. She enjoyed gardening and was especially proud of her fall pumpkin harvest, sewing (even making one of Kacey’s prom dresses), spending time at their cabin in Waterville, MN, taking dental mission trips to Belize with Keith, and working by his side at the clinic for so many years. Above all, Becky found the most joy in her grandchildren, and would spend every minute of her day caring for them as babies, attending school and church events, and never missing a birthday party.
The Johnson family is grateful to the wonderful friends and caretakers who have made it possible for Becky to remain at home the past few years.
Rebecca is survived by her husband Keith of Lake Mills; two children and seven grandchildren: Brady & Jessica Johnson and their children Adrienne, Marcus and Owen Johnson of West Des Moines, IA, and Kacey & Mike Sutter and their children Grayson, Paxton, Lawson and Yardley of Adel, IA; and three brothers, Terry (Linda) Starks of Victoria, MN, Dan (Susie) Starks of Lake Elmo, MN, and Doug (Jodi) Starks of Owatonna, MN. She is also survived by sisters-in-law on Keith’s side of the family: Janet Johnson of Springfield, MN, Kathy Pautzke of Springfield, MN, LeAnn (Arthur) Lehrer of Clements, MN, and Kayla (Ronald) Meine of Clements, MN; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and a bunch of wonderful friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Donald and Jane Starks; her in-laws Einer and Marjorie Johnson; and two brothers-in-law, Dale Johnson and Robert Johnson as an infant.
The family requests that in lieu of floral tributes, memorials be directed to Salem Lutheran Church, 401 S. Lake St., Lake Mills, IA 50450, the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601 www.act.alz.org, or to St. Croix Hospice, 7755 3rd St. N., Suite 200, Oakdale, MN 55128 www.stcroixhospice.com.
You can contact the family with on-line condolences at: www.schottfuneralhomes.com 641-592-0221
