Georganna Johanski

Georganna Johanski Georganna Johanski, age 100, passed away peacefully in her sleep December 22, 2019 at Lasata Care Center in Cedarburg. Cherished mother of Gary Johanski, Dennis (Jo Ann) Johanski, and Julie (James) Meloy. Beloved grandmother of Brian (Michelle) Johanski, Timothy (Katie) Johanski, Michael Meloy and Jimmy Meloy. Special great-grandmother to Kieran and Braeden Johanski; Ayla, Baxter, and Coraline Johanski. Preceded in death by her husband Edward Johanski, parents Susan and Ernest Wendt, and brothers Malcolm, Walter, and Edgar Wendt. She was born on November 29, 1919, and spent an idyllic childhood on a resort her parents owned on Two Sisters Lake in northern Wisconsin. Growing up without electricity, telephones, and running water, attending a one room school, along with a no nonsense upbringing by her German parents, shaped who she was and certainly contributed to a long and healthy life. We never tired of her many stories about growing up without all the conveniences that we take for granted. How her dad would flood the field in winter so they could play ice hockey; how her mother cooked three meals a day for all the tourists on a wood fired oven; how they raised all their own food; how they always had a cow, pigs, chickens, fish and venison, their own garden, how they made their own ice cream and butter; how they chopped blocks of ice from the lake every winter and packed them in sawdust to use during the summer to keep food cold; how the town had to build a one room school just for them as there wasn’t one; how they really did walk two miles to school; how they ran for their lives when a fire approached the school; how they never missed a day, no matter what the weather (sometimes the teacher didn’t show up, but they always did); how her dad had to travel four miles just to make a rare phone call (the kind of phone with a crank handle), the list goes on. She learned the value of hard work at an early age. They had no neighbors so she only had her three brothers to play with which forced her to get along with them or play alone. (She taught her daughter the same lesson; if you can’t get along with them, stay away from them!) Her family survived the depression of the 1930’s, mostly because they were so was self-sufficient. After graduating from high school in Rhinelander, she attended Badger Business School in Green Bay, and worked various secretarial jobs there until the children came along. She was a young woman during WWII and we also heard many stories of those hard times. All three of her brothers enlisted in the service before the start of the war. They served in Europe and the South Pacific and fortunately came home without a scratch after the war ended. In 1947 she met and married our dad, Edward, who also served in the Army during WWII. They moved to Grafton in 1956 where she raised her three children. She was mostly a stay at home mom, and raised her children much how she was raised. She was a strict yet loving mother who taught her children respect, values, hard work, and independence. We all remember the belt on top of the refrigerator. She rarely used it as just seeing her arm reach for it was all she needed to do. She and our dad were always there for all our school plays, sports events, etc. She was generous with her time and the neighborhood children were all welcome in our home. When we became adults she expected us to be self-sufficient and respected us enough to not interfere in our lives, yet she would drop everything whenever her help was needed. We never had to ask. She was widowed in 1978 and continued to maintain her home in Grafton. About the time she was widowed she acquired her parent’s home on Two Sisters Lake where she grew up. She spent every summer there until a just a few years ago. Her three brothers still lived nearby and she so enjoyed spending time with them during the summer. She also enjoyed bowling, babysitting her grandchildren, trips and lunch dates with her daughter, and spending time with her family. She remained independent and in her own home, with the help of her dear and devoted son Gary, until just a few years ago. She still enjoyed her Old Fashions every night at Lasata, which Gary faithfully provided, having a few sips just an hour before she passed. All of us marvel at her longevity, how she aged gracefully, and all that she witnessed and lived through the last 100 years. She was dearly loved by all and will surely be missed. Even though her passing happened during the holidays, we believe that in her own way, she was able to bring her entire family home for Christmas, which hasn’t happened in years. It’s a perfect ending to a long and wonderful life. Funeral services for Georganna will be held at 6:00 PM Monday, December 30, 2019 at the Mueller Funeral Home & Crematory, 979 N. Green Bay Rd., Grafton. Relatives and friends are welcome at the funeral home from 4:00 PM until the time of service. Private burial will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery in Grafton. Following the service a gathering of family and friends will be held at the American Legion Rose Harms Post 355, 1540 13th Ave., Grafton. Her family is truly grateful to the entire staff at Lasata Care Center in Cedarburg for the wonderful and compassionate care they gave her over the past three years. They gave her an awesome 100th birthday celebration less than a month ago which she thoroughly enjoyed. If desired, donations to Two Sisters Lake Property Owners Association/AIS fund would be appreciated. They are dedicated to keeping her beloved lake free of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) which are decimating many of our lakes. Two Sisters Lake is still clean thanks to their efforts. Checks can be made out to TSLPOA, with AIS Fund under the memo. Donations to the Salvation Army would also be appreciated.