Julia Johnson

Julia was born July 4th, 1914 in the family farm house near Rice Lake, Wisconsin, delivered by her father, Freeman Ritter. She was one of four children, sisters Lillian, Mayme and brother Edward. Julia enjoyed being outside and one thing she liked to do was play in the haymow, jumping down in the hay. She was taught the value of money, between the 7th and 8th grades she stayed at a neighbors home and worked and made $15.00 dollars. Her dad thought she should make more money so he bought her a guernsey cow with her $15.00, from which she got more money for the milk. When Julia married she received the cow. She would milk the cows outside without them being tied and her mom would go to the creek to get water and her dad would have to walk to town because there weren't any roads at that time. Julia had a lovely singing voice and was asked to sing whenever they would visit other people. Her father played a fiddle and her sister, Lillian, played the accordian. Julia eloped with Morton Grant on June 6, 1934 and the service was preformed by the pastor who had confirmed her. They had three children, Gloria, Evelyn and Carole who were all born at their home in the Silver Lake area of Cumberland, WI. julia did alot of the farm work. Julia and Morton would eventually divorce and she would move to Minneapolis and cleaned homes. Julia would meet Ole Johnson on March 26, 1949, they would have two children Angela and Kathleen. This marriage would end in divorce. Julia had washed dishes at Peters Grill for many years, cleaned private residences and also worked at a couple of hotels cleaning and washing dishes. She also had bought and sold several duplexes and homes. In more recent years she was hit by a car and one leg was badly injured, after her rehabilitation she moved to Oak Crest, a senior building in Spring Lake Park where she enjoyed gardening and having continental breakfast with her new friends. She was still wiping up her kitchen floor on her hands and knees when she was 90 years old. She also baked bread which she shared with her friends. Julia fell in her apartment in December 2005 and broke her hip. She moved to Benedictine Health Care Center at Innsbruck in New Brighton. She enjoyed being in a private room, looking out her windows at the roses, trees, squirrels and birds with families in the houses. Julia like sitting outside to get her vitamin D from the sun and fed the birds and squirrels. She had a green thumb and started tomato plants from the seeds of tomatoes in her salads and then would give the plants away. She had also started an orange tree. Julia had wonderful home health nurses who over saw and took her to her appointments both when she was at Oak Crest and Benedictine. She was admired for her spunk, honesty and her belief in God.
Julia was preceded in death by her parents, Bessie (Wilda) and Freeman Ritter, sisters Lillian Borofka, Mayme Chatras and daughter Evelyn Petry. She is survived by daughters Gloria (Arthur)Knoblauch, Carole Chalman, Angela Johnson and Kathleen (Bruce) Mikelson; grandchildren Loreen (Patrick) Spangler, Terisa (Steven) Krenc, Stephen Chalman, Joani (Joshua) Moberg, Jacob Mickley, Janelle (Matt) Armbruster, Tina (Jason) Nowling, Lukas and Troy Mikelson; great grandchildren Samantha Krenc, Sydney Spangler, Christian and Caleb Moberg, Gwen and Carson Nowling.