Please click on the video tribute below to view Kathleen's memorial and burial services.

Updated Service Information:

Memorial Service: 10:00 AM, Friday, May 22, 2026 at Fredrikson-Ganje Funeral Home, Ada, MN.

Visitation: One hour before the service at the funeral home.

Interment: Ada Municipal Cemetery, Ada, MN.

Kathleen Rae (Menge) Johnson, a woman whose life was defined by compassion, dedication and quiet strength, passed away peacefully December 19, 2025, at her assisted living apartment in Gilbert, Ariz.

Kathy was born on October 26, 1944, in Fertile, Minn., and grew up on a local farm. Those early years shaped her character, instilling a strong work ethic, humility and a deep appreciation for life's simple moments. She often fondly recalled bottle-feeding a black sheep as a child and playing in the barn with her siblings, memories that stayed with her throughout her life.

She attended school in Fertile until her family moved to Fargo, N.D., in 1953. In her teens, she worked in the family's movie theaters in the Fargo area, and graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1964, where she was co-editor of the biweekly Cynosure and often was a soloist in Acapella Choir performances. She also participated in summer musical productions of F-M Songsters.

Kathy followed her calling to nursing by attending and graduated from the St. Lukes School of Nursing in Fargo. She then worked at the local hospital in Red Wing, Minn., before returning to Fargo to work at St. Luke's Medical Center in Fargo, where her skill, leadership, and commitment to patient care eventually led her to become director of the operating room.

She married Walter Johnson Jr., a rancher from Courtney, N.D., in 1983. She often helped with the health and care of the ranch livestock.

In 1987, moved on to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital in Arizona, where she oversaw the operating room, cath lab and ICU units. Never one to stop growing, she later moved to Winchester, Va., in 2010, serving as director of the operating room for Valley Health Winchester. There, she played a pivotal role in the construction and operation of a new 24-bed surgical unit, a testament to her vision and dedication to improving healthcare.

Kathy and Walt retired in 2016 to Scottsdale. She and Walt enjoyed daily walks along the canal and shared a love of travel, exploring Germany, Italy, Norway and Austria and attending many shuttle launches in Florida. Among all her adventures, Kathy often said that one of her greatest joys was wandering through the Louvre, taking in the beauty and history of the world.

Even in the later years of her life, Kathy's instinct to care for others never faded. True to her nature, she was frequently found helping fellow residents in her apartment complex navigate their medical concerns. She lived a life of service, curiosity and kindness. She touched countless lives through her work, her family and her unwavering willingness to help others. Her legacy lives on in the hospitals she helped shape, the people she mentored, and the family she loved so deeply.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Gladys (Skjerven) and Willis Menge, and her brother, Richard Menge. She is survived by her sister, Sandra (Menge) Atkins in Vermont, and her two sons, Daniel N. Johnson and David M. Johnson in Arizona. She was especially close to her paternal aunt and uncle, Florence and George Menge, who lived on her grandfather's farm near Lockhart, Minn., and often considered the farm her home-away-from-home. She is fondly remembered by her nieces and nephews, Brett, Chad and Caleb Menge and Michael, Erik, Marie and Kristen Atkins.

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