Marilyn Johnson

Marilyn Johnson, age 98, of Baltic, passed away on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2023, at Dells Nursing and Rehab in Dell Rapids. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM Tuesday, November 28th, at West Nidaros Lutheran Church, rural Crooks. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Monday, November 27th, at the church. Memorials may be directed to West Nidaros Lutheran Church.

Marilyn Jean Otterby was born in rural Baltic S.D. on May 15, 1925, to Alfred and Selma (Berven) Otterby. She was the youngest of 3 children, joining sister, Irene, and brother, Leslie. She was baptized and confirmed at West Nidaros Lutheran Church. She attended grade school at the Williamson country school and graduated from Lyons High School in 1943, where she was active in numerous activities including first chair violin in the orchestra and salutatorian of her class. After high school, she enrolled at Sioux Valley Hospital School of Nursing and in May of 1946 she earned her R.N. Degree. On June 7, 1946, she married her high school classmate, Cortland Johnson at West Nidaros and moved onto a farm west of Crooks owned by Cortland's grandparents. In 1948, they moved west of Baltic where Marilyn was a vital partner on the Marico Angus farm. Marilyn was also active in the West Nidaros church serving on numerous boards, teaching Sunday School and chairing the women's group. She also became influential in the local MADD organization after her son, Craig, was killed in an auto accident at the age of 25. Once her children were attending school, Marilyn went back to her nursing career and worked in several nursing homes and lastly as the office nurse for Dr. J.S. Devick in Colton for almost 15 years.

After retirement, Marilyn loved to travel. She and Cortland took numerous trips around the U.S. She also was able to visit Norway twice where she visited cousins and places where her immigrant grandparents had lived. Cortland and Marilyn purchased a retirement home near their farm where they lived and continued to participate in the farming operation until his death in 2011. She continued living there until moving to Orchard Hills in 2016 and then to Dells Rehab in 2020.

Marilyn is survived by her children: Linda (Wayne) Larson, Baltic, Gloria Mills, Colton, Kent (Cindy) and Wyn (Char) of Baltic;  grandchildren, Darin (Connie) Larson, Louisa (Jade) Kvale, Matthew (April) Mills, Cortney (Allison) Mills, Amanda  and Alex Mills, Kerri (Mike A.) Rollag, Kelsi Rentschler, Wyatt (Dana) Johnson, Katie (Seth) LeBrun, Danya (D. J.) Buseman, Ethan (Lorna) and Kyler Johnson; 23 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister Irene (Charles) Long  and brother Leslie (Joyce), son Craig, son-in-law David Mills, grandchildren Ryan and Randy Larson and numerous in-laws and other family. She was the last of her generation of first cousins on both sides.