Mary Etta Johnston

Hills, MN Mary Etta Johnston, age 84 of Hills, MN died Monday, April 27, 2015 at Sanford Hospital in Luverne, MN. Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 2nd at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills, MN, with Rev. Grant Fischer officiating. Visitation will be Friday, May 1st from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m., with family present from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills. Mary Etta Johnston was born December 19, 1930 at Eagle Butte, South Dakota, the daughter of Virgil R. and Gladys E. (Collins) Anderson. She attended country school and Eagle Butte High School. While in high school she lived with her beloved grandmother. After high school she worked at a café in Eagle Butte, where she met her future husband, Norman "Dan" Johnston, who Mary referred to as "My Love". The two were married on April 3, 1949 in Dupree, SD. They moved to her parents' ranch near Eagle Butte, where they lived in a one room cottage, which they referred to as "The Honeymoon Cottage". Three children were born to this union. Through the years they lived various places such as Alaska, just off the Glenn Allen Highway, Susanville, CA, Orangeville, CA, where they owned and operated "Signal Gas Station. In 1961 they moved to Fall City, OR and lived there until April of 1968, when they moved to Olivet, SD. In June of 1969 they returned to Fall City, OR. In 1971 they moved to Hills, MN and she remained there the rest of her life. Mary Etta was passionate about drawing, painting, leather work, crocheting, knitting, and gardening. She especially enjoyed playing music and writing songs and poems. She was known as women with a heart of gold and spending time with people going through difficult times. Mary Etta also loved her miniature toy poodle, Megan. On July 23, 2003 Mary Etta's husband of fifty-five years, Norman died. She remained living in Hills until her own death this past Monday, April 27, 2015. She is survived by her two children, Dan (wife Tracie) Johnston of Florida and Jillian R. Johnston of Sioux Falls, SD; four grandchildren, Tracy Selby of Winchester, CA, Dan L. Johnston III of Dallas, TX, Nicholas Klein of Hills, MN and Brandee J. Hanson of Eureka, SD; eight great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Cal (wife Sandy) Anderson of Redding, CA and Jack (wife Debbie) Anderson of Alturas, CA; six sisters, Alice (husband Leon) Beauchamp of Fall City, OR, Katheryn (husband Larry) Carey of Bend, OR, Alexia Baughman of Redmond, OR, Virginia Martin of Susanville, CA, April Ayla and Eva Ward, both of Dallas, OR; and many nieces, nephews, and other extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Virgil and Gladys Anderson; husband, Norman Johnston; infant daughter, Joy Romaine Johnston; three brothers, Charles Anderson, Bill Anderson and Guy Anderson; one sister, Hope Cult; and one grandson-in-law, Justin Hanson.