Lois Johnson

Lois Leone Johnson passed away at Mondell Heights Assisted Living in Newcastle, Wyoming on the 12th of September 2025. Lois was born on the family farm north of McVille, North Dakota on the 6th of May, 1928 to Roy Johnson and Thelma (Ophaug) Johnson. She was the oldest of three daughters. Lois always loved being her dad’s “right-hand man” on the farm. She went to a one-room, country school until high school when the family sold the farm and moved to McVille. She graduated from McVille High School and married her high school sweetheart, Sid Johnson in 1948. They were married until Sid’s death in 1991.

Banking was always in her blood. Lois began working in the only bank in McVille right after high school. She took a break from banking when her son, Richard (Rick) was born in 1949. Sid’s career in the grocery business caused them to move frequently. But, Lois always found a job in banks including banks in Montevideo MN, Grand Forks ND, Moorhead MN and Jamestown ND. The Johnson family moved to Newcastle in 1963. After a short stint at JC Penney, Lois found another job at First State Bank working her way from the bookkeeping department, to teller, to secretary to the president, and finally as a vice president/loan officer until her retirement in 1992. She received a degree from the University of New Mexico School of Banking in 1983 and was active in the Wyoming Women’s Banking Association.

Lois enjoyed playing golf and bridge. After retirement, she also enjoyed travelling the southern United States, a Mediterranean cruise and touring the United Kingdom. She loved to draw and paint and did numerous landscapes, old barns and buildings in acrylic. But her passion was watercolor. For years she painted individual watercolors on greeting cards and Christmas cards for each and every person on her lists.

Family was always extremely important to Sid and Lois. They never passed up an opportunity to visit their grandkids. They were so very proud of each of them. Lois was always interested in what they were doing and reveled in their many accomplishments.

Lois was also very active in the community. A life-long Lutheran she was very involved at Grace Lutheran Church and then Christ the King Lutheran after the merger of the two churches. She served as a Sunday school teacher, church council member and president, communion preparer and confirmation mentor. She also served on the Weston County Hospital Board for a number of years. Her extensive banking background, well-established reputation for level-headed decision-making and long-time residency in the community made her an asset to any organization.

Lois is survived by her son Rick Johnson and his wife Mary Jo, four grandchildren, Tim Johnson (Jennifer), Kari Jo Comstock (Todd), Jody Brown (Jeff) and Scott Johnson (Kelly) as well as eleven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Sid, her parents Roy and Thelma Johnson and two sisters, Renae (Larsen) Logan and Luann Kiefel.

A celebration of Lois’s 97+ years of life will be held at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Newcastle on the 20th of September at 3pm. All are invited and welcome.