Jean Agnes Johnson

Jean Agnes JohnsonJuly 9, 1931 – January 31, 2017Viewing–Monday, February 6, 2017, 4-6 PMLuyben Dilday Mortuary, 5161 E. Arbor Road, Long Beach 90808Funeral–Tuesday, February 7, 2017, NoonLuyben Dilday MortuaryBurial Service–2 PMForest Lawn, 4471 Lincoln Avenue, Cypress 90630Jean Agnes (Schwanenberg) Johnson was born on July 9, 1931, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was the youngest of four children. Her two brothers, George Schwanenberg and Donald Schwanenberg, predeceased her. Her beloved sister Carol Price, survives her.Music was important to Jean’s family. Her father was a talented musician, and she and her siblings all played instruments. Jean played the violin and was very good. She was selected as first chair of her high school orchestra and received a music scholarship, which she used to attend Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.Shortly after starting her freshman year of college, Jean answered her dormitory telephone and Marold Johnson was on the line. Jean said she fell in love with him almost as soon as she first saw him. She never wanted to date anyone else and never did. When they first met, Marold was a senior who had already served four years in the Navy during WWII.They were married on January 20, 1951, on a bitterly cold day in MinneapolisMinnehaha Falls, Minnesota. Jean was 19 and Marold was 26. Jean and Marold had their first child, Judy, in 1952. When Judy was six months old, they decided to move to a warmer climate. They picked California because Jean’s grandmother had a winter home in Long Beach. Marold secured a job in Long Beach and bought a brand new house on Fairbrook Street where they raised their family and lived for over 40 years.Jean and Marold had three more children. Their daughter Sharon was born in 1954, their daughter Elizabeth was born in 1955 and their son, Curtis was born in 1960. They eventually had 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Jean stayed home to take care of her children when they were young and volunteered with Vacation Bible School, Scouts, PTA, and other parent groups. The Johnson family were long-time members of Immanuel Lutheran Church, then Christ Lutheran Church in Long Beach.When her children got older, Jean worked part-time as a special needs aide in a local school as well as a catering assistant. In 1970, she was accepted into the two-year nursing program at Long Beach City College. She graduated from that program with honors in June of 1972.After graduation, Jean went to work full time as a registered nurse. Over the years, she worked at St. Mary’s Hospital as a member of their first open heart surgery team, at Long Beach Veteran’s Hospital and at Woodruff Gables Hospital where she became the Director of Nursing. While working fulltime she earned at Bachelor’s degree from the University of La Verne.Jean loved to sew, knit, embroider, needlepoint, and tole painting. She sewed most of her daughters’ clothes, including all of their prom dresses. She knitted baby blankets and afghans for all of her children and grandchildren, as well as for her older great-grandchildren. Everything she made by hand was beautiful! She also baked delicious cinnamon rolls, made her family-favorite tuna potato chip casserole and helped Marold make the annual batch of Swedish potato Kor sausage. She also made hundreds of jars of jam from her backyard apricot, peach and plum trees during the years she lived on Fairbrook Street. She also raised the most beautiful roses in the neighborhood; roses were her favorite flower.Marold passed away after a two-year battle with cancer in 1997, almost 20 years ago. Jean missed him every day for the rest of her life. We are grateful that her hope to be reunited with him in heaven has finally been fulfilled.Marold & Jean Johnson Family:Children & SpousesJudy Johnson (Don Morrow)Sharon Dvorak (John)Elizabeth Hogan (Larry)Curtis Johnson (Sheryl Lynn)Grandchildren & SpousesAndrew Morrow, William MorrowLance Adams (Fay), Kristin Garrett (John), Carrie Erdy (Fred)Tyler Adams (Jenifer)Michelle Honeck (Nicholas), Matthew Hogan (Rachel), Daniel HoganThomas Johnson (Andrea), Connor JohnsonGreat GrandchildrenFletcher Garrett, Lauren Castro, Lindsey Jean Castro, Kierin Adams, Charlee Adams, Ella Garrett, Simrin Adams, Allyson Erdy, Ryder Adams, Emily Erdy and Baylee AdamsLuyben Dilday Mortuary (562) 425-6401