Susan Johnson

Susan Johnson, 79, passed away on October 1, 2026 at Heather’s House Hospice in Fargo after a long battle with dementia.

Susan Frances Pelletier was born on November 10th, 1946, to Henry and Rose (Fetsch) Pelletier, in Langdon, ND. Both of her parents came from large families in the area, so Susan spent much of her childhood surrounded by lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles. In fact, many of her closest school friends were also relatives. Susan loved to help her father on his rural mail route, and her mother in the kitchen, where she remembered Rose, who was famous for her caramel rolls, as one of the best cooks in town.

She graduated from St. Alphonsus Catholic High School in 1964, and then attended the University of North Dakota, where she graduated with a degree in Elementary Education in 1968. Susan married Harold Johnson that same year. Because of his job, they moved several times, to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and then eventually West Hempstead, New York on Long Island in 1979, where Susan spent the next 43 years. She and Harold eventually divorced, but not before welcoming their two sons, Mark and Paul.

Susan taught elementary school in every state they lived in. In the 1980s, she decided to return to school herself, earning a Masters degree in Reading Education from Hofstra University in New York. She spent the rest of her teaching career as a Reading specialist in various elementary schools in North Bellmore on Long Island. In addition to her working career, she was an active volunteer in PTA, the Community Scholarship Fund, and at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, where she was a reader, eucharistic minister, choir member, and Religious Education teacher. Susan was a leader in the Nassau Reading Council, which promoted childhood literacy in Nassau County through reading challenges, essay contests, workshops for teachers, book fairs, and scholarships.

In addition to volunteer work, Susan loved to play cards, and spent many nights – and weekdays, once she retired – playing bridge in various local clubs. She was also an avid reader, having belonged to several book clubs throughout her years in West Hempstead. Both before and after retirement, Susan enjoyed travelling to Europe several times with close friends. She also cherished the company of her eight grandchildren. In 2022, Susan moved into the Memory Care unit at Touchmark in Fargo, where she lived until the last day of her life.

Susan is survived by her sons Mark (Loriann) of Fargo, and Paul (Traci) of East Greenwich, RI. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Dr. Kathryn Johnson (Coos Bay, OR), Dr. Adria Johnson (Charleston, SC), Br. Stephen Johnson, OSB (Richardton, ND), Michelle, Erik and Merryn Johnson (all of Fargo), Layla and Colin Johnson (East Greenwich, RI); sister Rosemary Power (Billings, MT), and several cousins, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Rose; her former in-laws, Stanley and Nancy Johnson; and brother-in-law Tom Power.

The family would like to thank the staff at Touchmark at Harwood Groves, HIA Hospice, and Griswold Home Health for the care and dignity that they provided for Susan in her final years, especially these last few months.

Visitation and a vigil service will be held at Sts. Anne and Joachim Catholic Church (Fargo) on Thursday, October 8th, at 7:30pm.

The Funeral Mass will take place on Friday, October 9th, at 10:00am, also at Sts. Anne and Joachim. A light luncheon and refreshments will follow immediately in the Church Social Hall, where the family invites you to share in fellowship and remembrance.

Committal will take place at 3:30 pm Friday at Calvary Cemetery in Langdon.

A Memorial Service will be scheduled later at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in West Hempstead, NY.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial donation in Susan’s honor to the West Hempstead Community Scholarship Fund (PO Box 2132; WH, NY 11552), the Alzheimer Association (https://www.alz.org/), or Memory Café of the Red River Valley (https://memorycaferrv.org/).