Gloria “Rea” Mae Johnson

Gloria “Rea” Mae (Wahlstrom) Johnson, age 85, of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and previously a longtime resident of Marshfield, Wisconsin, passed away on December 1, 2024, in Wauwatosa with family by her side. Our loving, kind, and gracious daughter, sister, sister-in-law, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend, will be dearly missed.

Gloria was born on January 12, 1939, in Iron Mountain, Michigan, the daughter of Leonard and Maureen (Davis) Wahlstrom. She grew up on her parent’s bustling dairy farm (“the Farm”) in Florence County, Wisconsin. Gloria graduated from Kingsford High School and from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she received her bachelor’s degree in teaching. Gloria worked as an elementary school teacher before becoming a full-time mother. After Gloria and her husband, Sidney, settled in Marshfield in 1966, she supported her children’s involvement in a wide range of activities, she became an expert road-tripper in Big Blue, the family’s Pontiac station wagon, and organized countless family holiday gatherings. Later, Gloria worked in a local bookstore and then in the business office of the Marshfield Clinic. Gloria and Sidney moved to St. Camillus Assisted Living in Wauwatosa in 2021 to be closer to family, and they subsequently moved to St. Camillus Memory Care and then Skilled Nursing.

Gloria loved her family, and nothing made her happier than having her house filled to the brim with her children and grandchildren or making road trips with her family to the Farm to visit her parents, siblings and their spouses, and nieces and nephews. She loved to read, do word searches and crossword puzzles, sew and embroider, attend to her plants, listen to music (especially Barbara Streisand), observe the many birds (cardinals were her favorite) and squirrels (she enjoyed their acrobatic antics) that came to the feeders in her yard. She would never say no to a hot cup of coffee or a piece of chocolate.

Gloria was preceded in death by her parents; stepfather Arvid Sundberg; daughter Kara Andersen (Aaron); sister Carol Brown-Tokoly; brother Leonard Wahlstrom; and brother-in-law Russ Brown. Gloria is survived by Sidney, her loving husband of 64 years; her children Pam Christoffel, Lisa Erickson (Richard), Tanya Larsen, and Ethan Johnson (Maura); her grandchildren Thomas Christoffel, Ethan Larsen, Alyssa Larsen, Tara Erickson, Seth Larsen, Genevieve Andersen, Vivienne Andersen, Eamon Johnson, and Olin Andersen; her great-granddaughter Isla Larsen; her sister Marlene Wahlstrom; her sister-in-law Dawn Wahlstrom (Bob Bock); her brothers Larry Wahlstrom (Mary Gail) and Charlie Gavin (Pat); her brother-in-law Chet Tokoly, and many nieces and nephews.

Gloria’s family would like to give their heartfelt thanks to all the staff of St. Camillus and Froedtert Hospital for providing loving and attentive care of Gloria, and for being the ‘family you find along the way.’

At Gloria’s request, she is being cremated. A private memorial service for the family will be held on December 6, 2024, at Krause Funeral Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A burial and committal service will take place at Homestead-Aurora Cemetery, Wisconsin Ave, Niagara, Wisconsin, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Gloria’s name may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association.