Obituary: Diane M. Johnson

By Door County Pulse , Peninsula Pulse – September 7th, 2021

Feb. 27, 1948 – Sept. 4, 2021

Diane Marie Johnson, 73, of Sturgeon Bay, died peacefully with her husband and daughters at her side at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay.

Diane was the oldest of 11 children and the daughter of Elmer and Louise Krause. She graduated from Southern Door High School in 1966 and attended Stout University in Menomonie, Wisconsin, earning a bachelor’s degree in home economics in 1970.

Diane married Philip L. Johnson of Sturgeon Bay on July 25, 1970, at St. Francis Xavier Church in Brussels, and while on their honeymoon, she paid the $10 admission fee for him to be admitted to practice law in Wisconsin in a special ceremony before then–Chief Justice, E. Harold Hallows.

Phil and Diane raised three wonderful daughters, Callie (Daniel) Krauel, Brussels; Alyssa Johnson, Oshkosh; and Breanne (Wayne) Roecker, Sheboygan.

Diane was a Sturgeon Bay Jaycette and was a driving force behind the group’s project to get automobile safety seats for children passed into Wisconsin law. Diane was also a Door County election poll worker for a number of years and was an executive secretary of United Way of Door County. She more recently worked for Johnson Law Offices and her husband, providing secretarial and bookkeeping services for many years.

Diane loved to read and take mystery bus trips through Carefree Travel.

Diane was a home economics teacher at Southern Door High School in the early 1970s, putting in extra time and effort in her classes and teaching duties. She decided to concentrate on raising a family, so she suspended her teaching efforts in school to concentrate on teaching her children in the family setting.

Diane took special efforts to making her husband and children happy, mostly by setting a good example for her children. She never missed an opportunity to tell them how much she loved them and how very proud she was of them. Diane always told her girls to “be safe and call when you get there.”

Diane was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Keith Krause; brothers-in law, Randy Franda and Dr. Howard Johnson, Racine; as well as her parents-in-law, Herbert and Kathryn Johnson, Sturgeon Bay.

Diane is survived by her husband; three daughters; nine brothers and sisters, Nancy (William) Fleischman, James (Lisa) Krause, Robert (Sally) Krause, Karen (Michael) Kraus, Sandra (Ravinder) Tanwar, Donald Krause, Joan Franda, Gary Krause, Sue (Anthony) Hunsader; brother-in-law, Stephen (Caryn Wickman) Johnson; sister-in-law Julie (Robert) Gebauer; sister-in-law Sandra Johnson; eight grandchildren, whom she loved dearly, Laris Krauel, Nora Bartoszek, Shylee Yenter, Vance Krauel, Nicole Bartoszek, Zayden Yenter, Colleen Roecker and Kara Roecker; uncles and aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Friends may call at the Forbes Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay on Thursday, Sept. 9, 4-7 am. A prayer service is scheduled for 7 pm. Visitation will continue at Corpus Christi Church in Sturgeon Bay on Friday, Sept. 10, 11 am – 12 pm. A mass of Christian burial will be held at 12 pm, followed by entombment in the Shrine of Good Shepherd Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Diane’s name.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay for their wonderful care and compassion shown to Diane and her family.

A tribute page is available at forbesfuneralhome.com.