Carolyn Johnson

On January 18th, 2025, at Providence Centralia Hospital Carolyn Marie Johnson (Gundry), surrounded by the love of her family, went home to the Lord.

Her life started on a cold night February 23, 1943, in Ashland, Wisconsin. Soon after her birth Carolyn moved with her parents to Minot ND. She grew up a sign painter’s daughter in Minot ND. In 1961 she graduated from Bishop Ryan High School. In early adulthood she worked at First National Bank and Sears Roebuck. Carolyn enjoyed walking her dog and caught the eye of the tall, handsome carpenter Roger Johnson. They wed on August 1st, 1964 at St. Leo Catholic Church. They welcomed their first child, Elizabeth in 1970 and Jackie 1971. Carolyn read book recordings for the blind and had a small daycare at the house that they had built in Minot. She also had a doll clothes business.

In 1976, they traded in the small, city life of Minot ND for the Wyoming wilderness. Their adventure seeking took them to Yellowstone National Park. Living 40 miles from a sustainable grocery store, they gardened and she canned. Carolyn handmade her children’s clothes. Life in Yellowstone was completely different from the prairie of North Dakota. She often reflected her wonderment of nature that abounded around them. She never forgot the huge bull moose and bull elk that would tap their antlers against the large picture window attempting to eat her plants. She volunteered frequently at the school and was a Girl Scout Leader. She sat on books to look over the dashboard when she drove the family’s big, brown Ford truck and was often asked if she wanted to drive the school bus!

On their next adventure Carolyn and Roger moved from Yellowstone to Death Valley National Park. She went from the Wyoming wilderness to the Mojave desert where she was introduced to various unwanted house guests scorpions, reptiles and insects! Very unimpressed!! She continued her devotion to her girls by volunteering for the school and Girl Scout Troop involvement, along with substitute elementary school teaching. She would bake mountains of cookies and brownies for school fundraisers.

Their next adventure led them to Grand Teton National Park Wyoming where they resided for 13 years. After her girls were grown enough to be alone at home she returned to work as a personal assistant for Grand Teton Lodge Company. Every summer she met hundreds of new employees for the concessions and was dearly loved for her kindness. She also continued making doll clothes and various crochet crafts that she would sell at bazaars in Jackson.

From Grand Teton they moved to Sagamore Hill National Park, exchanging the Wild West for Long Island, New York. She loved the adventure but hated the traffic and would comment how Roger became a “New York City driver”. She would joke about her invisible foot brake on the passenger side pressing it often! Carolyn continued her volunteering, giving time to help catalog and assess hundreds of artifacts for Sagamore Hill. She was also employed as manager for the facilities bookstore.

Roger and Carolyn retired from the National Park Service in 2004 moving to Centralia, WA where their older daughter Elizabeth resided. They became full time volunteers for the Park Service as campground hosts crisscrossing the United States fully retired into the RV life. She was often referred to as the “human GPS system”able to sharply navigate maps and directions.

Carolyn will be remembered for her kindness to others as she often quilted and crocheted blankets for charity. Over the years she affectionately quilted, knitted, crocheted, and sewed blankets, tablecloths, napkins, wall hangings and holiday decorations for her family. Carolyn also had “piano fingers “ playing a multitude of piano music. She loved history and was an enthusiastic reference for her grandkids’ school questions. She is survived by her husband of 60 years Roger Johnson, daughter Elizabeth Johnson (Alison), daughter Jackie Johnson (Lonnie), grandchildren Samantha Ashby, Travis Atkinson , James Atkinson, Dillon Atkinson, Great granddaughter Serenity Ashby, sister Jo Ann Hittner ( Leslie)

Preceded in death by father James Gundry, mother Agnes “Hart” Gundry (Gervais), brother James Gundry, half sister Lynn Beth Roy (Gundry)

The Johnson family would like to give our sincere thanks to Lewis County Fire District#5 and Centralia Providence Hospital for the excellent care provided to Carolyn.

Psalm 16:11.

“You will show me the way of life,granting me the joy of your presence and pleasures of living with you forever” Published by The Minot Daily News, January 24, 2025.