Rosemary Joyce (Warren) Johnson was born on March 24, 1929 in Oberon, ND to Cora (Salisbury) and Rowland Warren. In her youth she had a passion for tap dancing and playing the piano. Rosemary graduated from Moorhead State Technical College and was a grade school teacher for 4 years (2 years in Long Beach, CA and 2 years at Horace Mann in Fargo.) Once her children were grown, Rosemary joyously taught piano part time for many years. In 1953 she married Vernon (Bud) Johnson in Fargo, ND and gave birth to three children. She was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, an international music fraternity for over 50 years; participated in the League of Women's Voters; was an avid reader, enjoyed bird watching, sewing and needlepoint. She dabbled in oil and water color painting and loved her art books. Rosemary lived the majority of her life in south Moorhead. In 2011 Rosemary moved to an Assisted Living community in Frisco, TX to be near her son. Often referred to as a sweet, gentle and courageous woman, Rosemary leaves behind many dear friends in both MN and TX.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Vernon D. (Bud) Johnson, son Bryan Johnson and brother Bob Warren. Surviving family include son Brad Johnson (McKinney, TX), daughter Brenda Johnson (Hayward, CA), daughter-in-law Marian Johnson (Poulsbo, WA), brother & sister-in-law Dale and Beverley Warren (Maple Valley, WA), sister-in- law Lois Warren (Redwing, MN) and her nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 2pm on Friday, August 16th, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Moorhead, MN (406 8th St. South) where Rosemary was an active member for close to sixty years.