Gertrude M. (Krenz) Johnson, 91, of rural Eau Claire died Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at Dove Healthcare Center in Eau Claire after suffering a stroke on Friday, April 29, 2005.Gert was born on "The Farm" in Fall Creek on October 14, 1913, to Wilhelmina (Schacht) and Wilhelm Krenz. Gert was a graduate of the Luther Hospital 1937 nursing class. She worked as an RN at Madison General Hospital. She also sang in the Madison Civic Chorus. She left Madison in 1943 to take coursework in public health at the University of Minnesota. She worked as a public health nurse for the City of Waupun, WI, until going home to care for her ailing parents. After their deaths, she was a nurse with the Eau Claire County Health Department. Gertrude married Manley J. "Tuff" Johnson on June 15, 1950 in Fall Creek. Gert was a stay-at-home mom until she began working as an RN at Mount Washington Nursing Home in 1966. Most of that time she was the Director of Nursing there, retiring in 1983.\r\nGert was a wonderful singer, who was a soloist at many weddings, funerals, and church events. She sang the National Anthem at two of her grandsons' basketball games at Minneapolis South High School in 2002 and 2003. \r\nGert enjoyed playing Scrabble and card games, especially Blackjack. She was an avid Packer and Badger fan.\r\nSurvivors include her son, Michael (Mary Eder) at home; a daughter, Mary (John) Thurow of Minneapolis; her grandsons, Ben Thurow of St. Paul and Zach Thurow of San Luis Obispo, CA; her brother, Norman (Eleanor) Krenz; her sister-in-law, Gladys Johnson; nieces and nephews; and many friends.\r\nShe was preceded in death by her husband, Manley, on July 23, 1998; her parents; her brothers, Jule Stabenow and Henry Krenz; and her sisters, Lydia Lang, Adela "Dale" Krenz, Lizette "Sade" Helgeson, Esther Akin, and Sylvia Dedrickson.\r\nMemorial services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, May 16, 2005, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, with Pastor Joel Hoelter officiating. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. Family and friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home and one hour prior to services Monday at the church.\r\n

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