Dianne Jennifer Johnson, beloved by family and friends, passed away peacefully on August 9th, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of love and quiet strength. Dianne was born February 6, 1947, in Tyler, Minnesota, blessing her parents, Arthur and Viola Lamb, with her bright blue eyes and angelically placed dimples. She spent her childhood as the oldest of nine rambunctious brothers and sisters, growing up on a small family farm near Dovray, MN. She attended elementary school there and later graduated from Westbrook High School in 1965. It was during these early years that she began to develop the skills, interests, and passions that would remain a part of her throughout her life. Dianne loved simple, beautiful things. She loved her white kitty figurines and her water globes, of which she received countless numbers from family and friends over the years—and then lost countless numbers to the clumsy little fingers of grandchildren who also thought they were pretty. Every year, she planted beautiful flowers to soften the grain-bin scenery that surrounded her. She tended a large garden that helped feed her growing family, with a little “help” from her children, also known as bean snappers and corn shuckers. She served as the pianist at Hadley Lutheran Church for much of her adult life. She always had a book or two within reach. In her early years, it was romance novels; later, she gravitated toward Minnesota history and pretty much anything else she could get her hands on. Her library card never had a chance to accumulate dust. Dianne loved people. She especially loved caring for those in need, a calling she had been answering long before she became an LPN. In May 1976, she graduated from Worthington Community College and began a long and deeply meaningful career in nursing. She served in many roles in Slayton, working at the nursing home, the DAC, Murray County Memorial Hospital, and, after retiring from the hospital, several years as the contract nurse at hospice. When her children had left the nest, Dianne was finally able to fulfill another dream: becoming an RN. She graduated from Southwest State in December 2004, making her family incredibly proud. On March 22, 1975, she married the love of her life and her perfect companion, Brent Wayne Johnson. He could not have been prouder to be marrying the Homecoming Queen of Westbrook High. They complemented each other beautifully and built a life filled with kind words, romantic gestures, faith, and plenty of playful banter, with God always at the center. Their life together was filled with family picnics, hikes, bike rides, camping trips, and vacations, many of them fueled by laughter and Spam sandwiches. As their children grew older, Brent and Dianne were able to enjoy quieter vacations, focusing on each other and exploring more of the country together. In January 2020, they took their last big trip together, traveling to Israel to explore its history and holy lands. Dianne was poised and classy most of the time, but every now and then, her quick wit would make an appearance— usually in response to Brent’s gentle teasing or one of his famously long-winded stories.
Together, they raised six children and later found even more joy in nurturing the many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who followed. Dianne’s life was built around the things she loved most: faith, family, caring for others. She didn’t live her life in grand gestures. She lived it in the thousands of small acts of kindness, generosity, and love. She will be deeply missed.
Survivors include her husband, Brent Johnson of Hadley, MN, six children Debra Perleberg of Luverne, MN, Susan and Tony Bonnstetter of Hadley, MN, Daniel and Nichole Johnson of Slayton, MN, Rebecca Forrest of Cottage Grove, MN, Paula and Casey Kavanagh of Rogersville, MO, and Katherine and Justin Burke of Rogersville, MO, 15 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, seven siblings and their spouses, Harold and Deborah Lamb of Garvin, MN, Mary Fox and Jim Sears of Montrose, SD, April Mitchell of St. Paul, MN, Robert and Dana Lamb of Madison Lake, MN, Jeffrey Lamb of Dovray, MN, James Lamb of Dovray, MN, and Brenda and Barry Otter of Tyler, MN, one brother-in-law, Herb Hansen of Dovray, MN and many nieces and nephews and their families. She is preceded in death by her parents, and two sisters, Elizabeth Radtke and Marsha Hansen.
Funeral Services were at Hadley Lutheran Church in Hadley, MN on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. Robert Ossefoort officiating. The organist was Mary Borgstahl with special music by Casey Kavanagh. The pallbearers were her grandsons, Greg Perleberg, Jeff Perleberg, Mike Bonnstetter, Avery Weber, Garrett Jonson, and Kellan Johnson. Interment is at Highland Home Cemetery in Hadley, MN.
Visitation was on Friday, August 14, 2026, at the Totzke Funeral Home in Slayton from 4-6 p.m. and one hour prior to the services at the church on Saturday. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to Hospice of Murray County. To send condolences visit totzkefuneralhome.com
