Maureen "Reen" Kay Johnson

Maureen Kay Johnson, age 69 of Tyndall, died Friday, June 13, 2025 at Sanford Hospital in Vermillion.

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 20, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with a 7:00 PM Prayer Service, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Tyndall.

The Funeral Service will take place on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 10:30 AM at the church. Burial will follow at Tyndall City Cemetery with a Nurses Honor Guard ceremony. 

Maureen Kay Johnson, fondly known as Reen, was born on August 3rd, 1955 in Watertown, South Dakota to Ruth Earlene Mitchell Fairbanks and Douglas Leonard Fairbanks. Soon after being born, her family moved to Hibbing, Minnesota. Her family moved back to Mitchell after the death of her father so that her mother could go into nursing. Here, Maureen graduated from Mitchell High School in 1973. Later, she continued her education at Dakota Wesleyan University and graduated in nursing in 1986. She began work at the Methodist Hospital and transferred to Avera Queen of Peace when it closed. After many years she moved to Tripp and began working at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Tyndall.

Around the time of moving to Tripp she married Micheal Arden Johnson on July 17th, 1993 in Yankton on a riverboat. They then moved from Tripp to Tyndall, settling there permanently. After working at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home, Reen did travel nursing for several years in: Viborg, Faulkton, Wakonda, Webster, and Wausa, NE. She then worked in Hartington, NE for a time before finally working and retiring at Avera Sister James in Yankton. She worked as a nurse for a total of 39 years.

Maureen had a deep love for books which she instilled in her children. Her love was so deep that she had an entire room filled with them, with even more spread throughout her home. She loved drawing, music, camping, being out on the water, and gardening. She shared her mother’s love of family Christmases. She adored her farm cats alongside the many other critters that would stop by. Most of all, she loved people. As a nurse, she went by many nicknames from coworkers and residents alike such as “Mama Hippie” and “Nurse Yoda.” When her coworkers left, she let them know she loved them by saying “Drive home safe. Watch for critters!” She gave so much of herself and made time to get to know people on an individual level. She put her best foot forward when it came to her residents and family.

Maureen is survived by her sister, Wanda Hupp, IL; stepsister, Vicki Musick (Roger), SD; her husband, Micheal Johnson, SD; her son, Dustin Johnson, SD; her eight daughters: Danielle Johnson, SD, Michelle Paulson (Beau), SD, Donna Lee (Larry), SD, Tara Goldman (Shad), SD, Tammy Johnson, SD, Krystal Kubal (Travis), SD, Amy Jorgensen-Epp (Steve), SD, and Amanda Delzer, MN. She is survived by 27 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She is preceded in death by her father, Douglas Leonard Fairbanks; step-brother, Terry Max; step-father, Harold Max, and mother, Ruth Earlene Fairbanks Max.