Gladys Johnson, 97, of Woodbury, MN formerly of Strandquist, MN died on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at the Woodbury Health Care Center in Woodbury, MN.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 5, 2011 the Evangelical Free Church in Newfolden, MN with Pastor Gary Barrett officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Newfolden, MN.

Gladys Carrie Madeline Andeen was born in Foldahl Township near Argyle on May 21, 1913, to Emanuel and Hannah Andeen. She was the third oldest of seven children. When she was an infant, the family moved to a nearby farm, which is where Gladys spent her childhood. She walked to a country school that was about a mile and a half from their farm.

Life on the farm was busy, and all of the children had their assigned chores. Among other things, that meant Gladys milked the cows, carried water from the nearby well, helped with the haying and cleaned the house.

Gladys graduated from Warren High School in 1930. Upon graduation, she enrolled in the Warren Teacher Training Department. Her first job was in a rural school near Stephen. Gladys teaching career lasted 12 years and included several rural schools. It was while teaching at Sunnyside School near Strandquist that she would meet her future husband, Carl Johnson. They were married on June 10, 1939.

Gladys retired from teaching to spend more time raising her two children, Judy and Roger. In 1951, she and Carl moved from the farm into Strandquist, where Carl started a service station business. After the kids were both in school, Gladys began to think about getting a part-time job. That led, initially, to a clerk position at the Strandquist Post Office. After five years in that position, she was named Postmaster, a position she held until she retired February 28, 1977.
Gladys and Carl remained in Strandquist until 1993, when they moved to Thief River Falls. Carl passed away in 1998. Gladys later moved to Woodbury to be closer to her family.

Gladys is survived by her two children, Judy (Dave) Munro and Roger (Stephanie) Johnson, two grandchildren, Rhonda (Jeff) Habel and Sabrina (Bryan) Stenson, two great grandchildren, Rebecca Habel and Chloe Stenson, her brother Birger Andeen and her sister MaryAnn Schwartz.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Carl, her sisters Eleanor Hanson and Doris Peterson and her brothers Kenneth Andeen and Edmund Andeen.

Special Music: Myles & Judy Hogberg
Selections: Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) & Sheltered In The Arms Of God
Congregational Hymns: What A Friend We Have In Jesus & Rock Of Ages