Alpha Johnson

Alpha Johnson, age 80, of McIntosh, MN, passed away on Thursday (April 12th) at McIntosh Senior Living in McIntosh. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday (April 14th) at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in McIntosh with Pastor Ryan Rasmussen officiating. Interment will be in Our Savior's Lutheran Cemetery, McIntosh. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. Arrangements are with the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home, serving McIntosh and messages of condolence may be sent at carlinhoialmen.com.Alpha Evangeline (Hviding) Johnson was born in rural Mentor, Minnesota on February 20, 1932 to parents Kruger and Emma (Skiple) Hviding. She attended rural school in Woodside Township and graduated from Mentor High School in 1950.She graduated from Bethesda School of Practical Nursing in 1951 and attended Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis.She married Morris Johnson at Rodnes Church in rural Erskine, Minnesota on March 7, 1954. She and Morris raised four daughters and farmed north of McIntosh, Minnesota. They were active members in the McIntosh community.Alpha worked as a nurse at Pioneer Memorial Home in Erskine for over 20 years. She also taught Sunday School, held offices on the church council, Ladies' Aid, American Legion Auxiliary, and the Polk County Nursing Board.After Morris passed away in 1981, Alpha bought a home in McIntosh. She kept active in the community and cherished friendships with many people. Traveling was a favorite pastime, having traveled to Norway, Hawaii, California, Arizona, and Florida, often with her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed bus trips to everywhere from Minot to the North Shore.Alpha sold her home and moved to Poplar Meadows senior apartments in McIntosh in 2008, then moved to First Care Senior Living in Fosston. In November 2009, she moved to McIntosh Senior Living, where she was very much at home with former coworkers at Pioneer and the other staff and volunteers who cared tenderly for her until her passing at the age of 80 years on April 12, 2012.Surviving her are daughters, Deb (Randy) Carey of Shoreview, MN; Nancy (Gary) Bergstrom of Eden Prairie, MN; Darlene (Dan) Dierkes of Sauk Rapids, MN; and Carolyn (Scott) Solberg of Edina, MN. She also leaves behind her brother, Kenneth (Luverne) Hviding of Crookston, and her grandchildren: Nicole (Keith) Treague, Holly and Abby Bergstrom; Ashley and Taylor Dierkes; and Ben, Zach and Anna Solberg, as well as nephews, a nice, and many cousins.She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Morris.She will be missed by her many friends, neighbors and former co-workers.Pallbearers will be Randy Carey, Gary Bergstrom, Dan Dierkes, Scott Solberg, Taylor Dierkes, and Keith Treague.