“What we leave behind is not engraved in stone monuments, but woven into the lives of others.”
Vivienne Johnson, age 81, Dickinson, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 2, 2012, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dickinson. A private family memorial service will be held for Vivienne at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson with Rev. Roger Dieterle officiating. There will be a gathering of family and friends from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday at Ladbury Funeral Service.
Vivienne Emily Child was born October 1, 1930, the daughter of Elisha and Helen (Morrison) Child at Regent. She was raised on the family farm, six miles west of Regent, with her two brothers, Richard and Allan; and two sisters, Marie and Olive.
Vivienne attended first through eighth grade at the Tepee Butte School near Regent beginning in 1937, and moved to New England, with her family in 1943 where she attended high school. Following graduation from high school in 1948, Vivienne worked for Slope Electric in New England. In 1949, she married Wiley Johnson and they moved to Madison, Wisc. for a year working at the Oscar Mayer meat processing plant. They returned to the Daglum community, south of South Heart, in 1950 and farmed until 1976. In 1977, Vivienne moved to Dickinson and was employed at the American State Bank until she retired in June 1995.
Vivienne enjoyed her retirement living in the country near Medora, and spent her time enjoying the scenery and wildlife, gardening, caring for her dog Pepe’, and playing cards and board games with her family. Vivienne especially enjoyed those special times with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Vivienne leaves a legacy of love which is woven into the lives of her family. She will be remembered for her gifts of laughter, generosity, courage, fortitude, resilience, dedication, playfulness, and her everyday acts of kindness.
She is survived by her eight children, Jack Johnson, South Heart, Jerry (Tammy Goerndt) Johnson, Dickinson, Larry (Chris) Johnson, Medora, Rory Johnson, Dickinson, Rita (Ken Davis) Gawryluk, Dickinson, Sheila (Emile Rouleau) Johnson, Somersworth, N.H., Gina Johnson, Somersworth, N.H., and Janell (Paul Neprash) Johnson, Killdeer. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren, Greg Gawryluk, Jennifer Johnson, Justin Johnson, Josh Johnson, Jackson Johnson, Jason Johnson, Laura Johnson, Chelsey Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Lindsay Johnson, Allison Johnson, Emily Johnson, Katrina Johnson, Kandice Goerndt, Kayla Goerndt, and Kari Goerndt; and 11 great-grandchildren, Javen Johnson, Evan Johnson, Brooklyn Johnson, Hannah Gawryluk, Lydia Gawryluk, Isaac Gawryluk, Abigail Gawryluk, Seth Gawryluk, Luke Gawryluk, Grace Gawryluk and Braeley Goerndt. Vivienne is also survived by her sister, Marie Kaiser, Dickinson; numerous nieces and nephews, and special friend, Ben Gawryluk.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Elisha and Helen; her husband, Wiley on December 24, 1976; two brothers, Allan and Richard; and one sister, Olive Lutz.
