Deanna Dunn Johnson, age 81, passed away Sunday, February 17, 2019 in Indianapolis, IN.

She was born January 30,1938 in Twin Falls, Idaho as the only child to George M. and Eloise R. (Gillette) Dunn. The family moved to Odell, Oregon where Deanna grew up and was a 1956 graduate of Wy’East High School.  She married her high school sweetheart, Arvid Johnson, on August 30, 1958.

     After living two years in Eugene OR, Arvid and Deanna drove across country in 1960 to State College, PA while Arvid attended Penn St. University.  They moved to Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, in 1965 where they had four children.  In 1978, they moved across country again to Cincinnati, Ohio. There, Deanna was a member of Blue Ash Presbyterian Church where she enjoyed singing in the choir and established many life-long friendships. In 1988 they moved with their two younger children to Lafayette Indiana where Deanna worked as an assistant librarian and secretary at Klondike Middle School while Arvid was a professor at Purdue University. Deanna was first and foremost a dedicated mother. She stayed at home to raise her four children when they were young, and she went to work to put all of her children through college.

Deanna was hospitable, humble and kindhearted. She loved spending time with family and watching her grandchildren doing the things that they loved. She and Arvid built their dream lake cabin in Shipshewana, Indiana, in the countryside among the Amish. The loved gboat rides and time with children and grandchildren at their cabin.

Deanna is survived by her four children, daughter Jenna (Jeff) Wendlandt (Fort Wayne, IN), son Nils (Marleen) Johnson (Cold Spring, KY), son Kaj (Cyndi) Johnson (Bloomington, IN), and daughter Karla (Anthony) DeNicola (Fishers, IN).  She also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren  Michael, Kelsey and Alyssa Wendlandt, Kiersten, Alexander and Natasha Johnson,  Aidan, Rebecca, and Leah Johnson, and Nathan, Carson, and Linnea DeNicola, two brothers-in-law, Richard (late Shirley) and Ansel (Susan) Johnson, and a sister-in-law Karin (Gary) Paulsen and numerous nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Arvid M Johnson.

Her kindness, generosity and physical presence will be deeply missed but forever remembered.  A celebration of her life will be held on March 2, 2019 at 11:00am at Blue Ash Presbyterian Church.  4309 Cooper Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45242

Preferred donation to: Arvid M. Johnson Scholarship Fund at Purdue University, ℅ Jimmy Parker 150 N. University St.,  West Lafayette, IN, 47907.   https://secure.ud.purdue.edu/s/1461/campaign/give.aspx?sid=1461&gid=1010&pgid=3175&cid=7440&bledit=1&sort=1&dids=5439.35&appealcode=13244