Linda LoAnn Johnston

Linda LoAnn (Reed) Johnston was born on April 18, 1942 to Mervel and Wava (Akin) Reed in Alexandria, Minnesota. She grew up on the family farm in Osakis, MN and enjoyed participating in 4-H which included raising a milk cow and a little pig. She graduated from Osakis High School in 1960.

After graduation, Linda moved to Minneapolis where she started attending nurses training at Swedish Hospital. Linda decided nursing school was not a perfect fit and left to work for The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). Soon after she met Dave Johnston through mutual friends. The two arranged to go to a movie, and Linda slipped and fell on a patch of ice. They liked to joke that Linda fell for Dave on their first date. The couple married on May 9, 1964.

Throughout the years Linda worked various jobs including a home typist for BGEA and bookkeeper for Dave’s business. In 1984, she started working at Bethel College in the financial aid office, later moving to the business office where she did accounts payable. She loved it when Dave got a job at Bethel in 1989 and they were able to commute together. She would read books to Dave on the long commute from East Bethel to St Paul each day. She retired in 2004. Dave and Linda were then called to do full-time ministry with Mission America Placement Service (MAPS) through the Assemblies of God Church. They traveled all over the United States in their RV. Volunteering in places like Miami, FL, Waxahachie, TX, Glendale, AZ, Prescott, AZ and their favorite place in the world, Lake Geneva Christian Center in Alexandria, MN. Linda really cherished the friends they made during the 16 years that they volunteered through MAPS. In 2021, Linda and Dave sold the RV and became full-time residents of Alexandria as Linda’s health started to decline due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. Dave faithfully and lovingly cared for her until she moved to a memory care facility on June 12, 2023. 

On Sunday, July 7, 2024, Linda passed away peacefully at the age of 82. She enjoyed 60 years of marriage to the love of her life, Dave, and enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, gardening, sewing, reading, singing, listening to worship music, spending time with Jesus, and going on walks.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Dave; her children, Steve Johnston of Coon Rapids, MN, Tonya (Tim) Poppen of Fridley, MN; siblings, Gene Reed of Osakis, MN, Pat (Carol) Reed of Leonard, MN, Trudy O’Neill of Brooklyn Park, MN; eight grandchildren, Alexis (Richard), Dakota, Grace, Cole, Joseph, Emily, David and Luke. She was preceded in death by her parents. 

 A celebration of life for Linda will be held Saturday, July 20, 2024 at Lake Geneva Christian Center in Alexandria starting at 11:00 AM. 

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS MEMORIALS TO LAKE GENEVA CHRISTIAN CENTER ARE PREFERRED

Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria is in charge of arrangements for Linda.