Janice "Jan" Johnson

JANICE RAE “JAN” JOHNSON, age 82 of Roseville, passed away peacefully on November 1, 2026, at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Jan was born April 29, 1944, to Lester and Beulah (Schaumkessel) Johnson at Waseca Memorial Hospital. She graduated from Waseca High School and got an Elementary Education degree from Mankato State University and a Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota.

Jan began her teaching career in Apple Valley for a couple of years and in 1968 started teaching 3rd grade at Central Park Elementary in Roseville. She spent most of her years there teaching 1st grade and retired in 1999. She amazed many people with stories from her teaching days that she could still recall in great detail, including students’ names.

Jan was an avid sports fan and very athletic. Her brother often said that if women’s sports in high school and college would have been available back then…Jan would’ve excelled in many of them. She had season tickets to the Minnesota Gophers and the Lynx and watched multiple sports on TV. She played golf, tennis, and in her retirement years played what she affectionately called “old lady volleyball.”

Hobbies for Jan included fishing, crossword puzzles, and small woodworking projects. She loved the outdoors. She also had a strong curiosity for how to fix things. She often watched her Dad tinker with things around the house.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Robert “Bob” Johnson. She is survived by her sister Sharon Brogan of Rochester, her longtime friend and roommate Mary Wilkins of Roseville, sister-in-law Gwen Johnson of Waseca; niece Jodi (Dan) Kuball; nephews Chris (Amy) Brogan and Brad Brogan; great-nephews Erik Brogan, Noah Kuball, and Evan Kuball; great-nieces Monica (Brogan) Welton and Haley Brogan; and two great-great nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to North Heights Christian Academy, 2651 North Rice St, Roseville, MN 55113 or to a charity of your choice.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11:00 am at the State Street chapel of Dennis-Steffel-Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Service at 711 State St N, Waseca, MN 56093. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Following the service, Jan will be laid to rest at Woodville Cemetery in Waseca.