Esther Mae (Collison) Johnson, 94, of Wadena, died Oct. 30, 2009 at the Fair Oaks Lodge in Wadena.

Funeral services were Nov. 3, at Swan Valley Lutheran Church in Leader with Rev. Mel Nefstead offi- ciating. Burial was at West Lyons Cemetery in Nimrod.

Arrangements were with the Johnson Memorial Home in Wadena.

Esther was born April 10, 1915 near Sturgis, S.D. on a homestead near of Alkali, S.D. to George and Stella (Porter) Collison. At the young age the family moved to Willow Lakes, S.D. and then to Poplar Township, in Cass County.

She attended school at Garfield and Poplar in Cass County.

She married Elmer Johnson on Sept. 15, 1934 in Poplar Township. They worked and lived on a turkey farm near Kelso, Wash. In 1968, she and Elmer moved to Bullard Township in Wadena County. She had a greenhouse for a few years in the mid 1970s and worked as a nurse's aide at the Mary Rondorf Home and later at the Staples Care Center. She retired in the early 1980s.

She enjoyed gardening, reading, genealogy and time with her family. She lived at assisted living in Staples, Motley and later to Fair Oaks Nursing Home in Wadena, until the time of her death. She was a member at Swan Valley Lutheran Church in Leader.

Esther is survived by one son, Darrel, four grandchildren, seven greatgrandchildren, one sister, Vera Westra of Verndale, and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband, one daughter-in-law, Geri Johnson, parents, five brothers, Elmer, Cecil, Orville, Harold and George Collison; two sisters, Lela Johnson and Margaret Gelvin.

Pallbearers were James Johnson, Paul Johnson, Shaun Glinz, Ron Klose, Sam Davidson, and Robert Collison. A00006B2009NV03