Jean M. Johnson

Jean M. Johnson, age 80 of rural Dent, Minnesota, died Monday, May 22, 2023 at Perham Living.

Jean Meigs Johnson was born April 23, 1943 in Buffalo New York to J. Robert and Jean (States) Meigs, and soon after, the family moved to St. Louis, MO area. Jean grew up in Normandy and graduated from Normandy High School.

In 1962, Jean was introduced to Dennis Johnson by way of her sister's marriage. Jean and Dennis were later married on December 30, 1967 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND. They lived in Richfield, Minnesota until Dennis's retirement in 1989 when they moved to their cottage on East Silent Lake.

Jean spent many years working as a secretary and office manager for several marketing firms. In 1989, she was the manager of Grassroots in Perham. In 1990, Jean took the U of M Master Gardener Training at the MN Landscape Arboretum. By 1993, Jean had started Jean’s The Right Plant Place. She was active in the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary for which she was a long-time secretary and then president. She received the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Award. In 2009, Jean was presented with the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of exceptional leadership and devoted service to the Perham Rotary Club. She headed a two-year project that resulted in The Courtyard of Caring Garden at Perham Living. Jean volunteered at Perham Health in the boutique & served on the Family Council. Jean was a member of the Lady Slipper Garden Club. She worked on many projects. She donated many plants, especially hostas to the Courtyard and the Library. If she had a voice she would say - please water these gardens. She enjoyed traveling to Aruba, on a botanical tour to Hawaii, and took several trips to Indian Wells, CA to watch the highest level of women's tennis.

Jean was a resident of Harvest Glen in Perham Living for about a year, where she was well cared for by the staff.

Surviving Jean are her husband, Dennis Johnson; children, Douglas (Beth) McGinley and Paul Johnson (Jaime Amador); and sister, Barbara (Mark) Yeaton; grandsons, Nicholas and David McGinley and her two cats K.C. and Trouble. She is preceded in death by her parents, J. Robert and Jean Meigs. 

A Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 23, 2023 with visitation one-hour prior at Schoeneberger Funeral and Cremation Service of Perham.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Jean Johnson Memorial Scholarship Fund.  This fund will provide scholarships to Perham area high school students interested in horticulture or agricultural fields. Donations can be mailed to: Jean's the Right Plant Place, P.O. Box 77, Perham, MN 56573.  

Schoeneberger Funeral & Cremation Service, Perham, MN (218) 346-5175 www.schoenebergerfh.com