Esther LaVonne Johnson

Esther LaVonne Johnson, age 88, of Eleva, crossed over into the arms of our Savior at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, on Sunday, February 14, 2021. LaVonne, our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, left behind a huge family and a beautiful legacy of the love and salvation of our lord Jesus Christ - to be carried on for years to come. She lived an incredible life against all odds and lived it out gracefully and gratefully. Raising nine children she reveled on how she took pride in seeing a clothesline full of crisp white cloth diapers. She had a love for gardening, planting flowers and feeding and watching the birds from her patio. She always loved to hold and kiss on the new babies that arrived in our family. She gave to others even in the most challenging of times. Her services for others extended to volunteering weekly at the nursing home, picking up and taking car loads of children to church to attend her Sunday school class, and her welcoming smile that greeted multiple visitors who came into her home. Her faith began at the Church of the Nazarene - a church that she helped get started and she continued her service there for many years. This is a celebration of a life - not a mourning of a life -that has impacted many people. She will be remembered and loved in our memories by her children Melinda (Randy) Tryggestad, Jenalee (Jerry) Franzwa, Timothy (Sarita) Johnson, Terri (Charles) Marble, Lisa (Jeff) Rindal, Brenda Kulig, Matthew ((Becky) Johnson and Holly Johnson; 27 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren and 11 great great-grandchildren who will continue to carry on where she left off. She is further survived by two brothers, Arvid (Bonnie) Arneson and Verlynn Arneson; two sisters, Audrey Fimreite and Sonya (Bob) Elder; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. LaVonne was preceded in death by her husband Donald T. Johnson, son Mark T. Johnson, parents Palmer and Esther Arneson and granddaughter Heather Ann Darner. A celebration of her life (with COVID-19 guidelines) will be held on Sunday, February 21st at 1:00 pm at Calvary Baptist Church in Eau Claire. Burial services will follow at the Eleva Cemetery. A meal will be served at Calvary Baptist following the burial. The service will be livestreamed on the church website www.calvaryeauclaire.org To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Esther LaVonne Johnson, please visit our flower store.