Lois Maxine Johnson

Her family was hit hard by the Great Depression, but they all lived happily. She grew up attending schools in Fort Collins, went to Fort Collins High School, then finished in Walden, CO. Her family lived in Walden a few years, but eventually moved back to the Fort Collins area and lived on the Pennock Ranch in Bellvue. It was during this time as a young woman she worked as a telephone operator.

In 1954, she married Calvin Johnson and embraced her new role as a farmer’s wife and homemaker. Together they raised a family. She always said family was the most important thing to her. When loved ones would visit, she would arrange family gatherings so we could all be together. She loved to provide harvest lunches for the crews of family, friends, and employees who helped bring in the crops. If the field was too far from the kitchen, she would bring the lunch to the field. Her most coveted meal was bacon sandwiches and she always provided extra bacon for those who wanted it. She made everyone feel like they were her family. A popular Sunday family outing was cooking breakfast at the picnic ground in Rist Canyon or going out to several favorite restaurants around Fort Collins. When her household became an empty nest, she worked at First National Bank on Oak Street.

She and Calvin loved to travel. They joined the Ports of Call Travel Club and took yearly trips to many places around the world, including Easter Island, Kenya, Israel, and China. They continued traveling until Calvin’s health no longer made that possible. They had season tickets at the Lincoln Center and loved attending many shows.

After Calvin passed away in 2010, she lived independently the rest of her life and volunteered at Centre Rehab for a period of time. She passed away November 3, 2020 after a brief illness unrelated to COVID.

She was predeceased by her parents, Arthur and Iola; husband, Calvin; son, Jeff; and sisters, Loraine Rench and Eleanor Pangborn. She is survived by her daughter, Lana Carnevale (Dan); daughter, Tana Locke (Rich); son, Bradley (Lizette); daughter-in-law, Linnie; 9 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

A graveside service is planned for Grandview Cemetery on October 10, 2022 at 12:00 PM, followed by a memorial at the Fort Collins Senior Center from 1 PM - 3 PM, then concluding with a Celebration of Life party at the family farm in Berthoud.