Gladys H. Johnson

Among the many pearls of wisdom that Gladys Helen Weierke Roberts Johnson left her children is this statement: “If you don’t want cereal, then you’re not that hungry.“

Before she died at the age of 91 on November 18, 2024, Gladys had spent the day surrounded by loving family members at Hastings Senior Health & Living Care Center.

Gladys was born in Farmington, Minnesota, on October 8, 1933, to Paul and Emily Weierke. She graduated from Farmington High School and was crowned homecoming queen. That same year, 1952, she married Donald Roberts, also of Farmington. Together, they moved to Hastings and had four children. When Gladys was widowed in 1966, she was able to raise four pre-teen children by herself with some help from loving family and neighbors. In 1970, she married Charles Johnson, who had two children from a previous marriage, and together he and Gladys had one child. It was a “yours, mine, and ours” kind of family, as Gladys used to say.

Gladys was actively involved in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hastings and loved her Bible studies and church community. Her best friends were her “coffee“ group, which met every week for decades. Gladys loved to sing and was often heard through the open windows of her home on Lyn Way. Neighbors and friends remembered that most about Gladys: “She was always singing.“

Gladys was a meticulous housekeeper, and that’s the understatement of the century. She didn’t have a lot of hobbies, but she loved The Andy Griffith Show, watching Vikings football with Chuck, listening to music, eating popcorn in a comfy chair, and sweets. She once turned to one of her kids and said, quite seriously, “I just love Twinkies.“ She loved shopping: in the 1970s, she would literally spend eight hours shopping at Signal Hills Shopping Center (usually at Van Arsdell’s) with dinner at Shangri-La afterwards. She also loved Tinucci’s restaurant in Newport (which she always cutely mispronounced, “Tin-oo-sees”), where the family regularly partook of the Friday night fish fry!

For several years, Gladys served as the “lunch lady” at the Christa McAuliffe and Kennedy Elementary Schools. She loved the job and was always giving and receiving hugs from the kids at school. Gladys was liberal with her affection, hugging and kissing and making people feel loved.

Gladys’ big smile, sense of humor, gift for gab, strong faith, and ability to make people feel special will be sorely missed by those who loved her.

Gladys was preceded in death by her husbands, Donald Roberts and Charles Johnson; her parents, Emily and Paul Weierke; and many siblings (she was the youngest of 11 children).

She is survived by her five children and their spouses: Randy (Natalia) Roberts, Steve (Patrice) Roberts, Cathy (Tom) Hoeffel, Caren Roberts-Frenzel, and Jeana (Aaron) Sandquist; 2 stepchildren: Steven (Patsy) Johnson and Lynnea (Kenny) Ryan; her sister, Jackie Erickson; 12 grandchildren: Tom (Anna) Roberts, Sam (Madison) Roberts, Jordan (Melanie) Roberts, Mike (Shae) Hoeffel, Kellie (Robby) Dee, Rita Frenzel, John Frenzel, Jake Sandquist, Ashley Sandquist, Alyssa Sandquist, Gregory Calandra, and Kerri Calandra; and 4 great grandchildren: Vin Roberts, Layla Roberts, Kayden Calandra, and Baby Hoeffel (due in January 2025).

Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at 10 AM, at Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel, 3075 Vermillion Street, Hastings, with funeral/memorial service to follow at 11 AM. Burial at Fort Snelling Cemetery will be private. Memorial donations may be made to Hastings Senior Health & Living Care Center, 930 - 16th St. W., Hastings, MN 55033 or Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 400 W. 9th St., Hastings, MN 55033.

Arrangements are being completed by Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel of Hastings.