Judi Johnson-Raper

Birth: November 22, 1943 | Died: September 24, 2022

Judi was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She met and married her first husband and had 3 children. While struggling to make ends meet, she made the decision to stabilize her and her children’s lives, and decided she wanted to be a nurse. She attended St Mary’s University in Minneapolis and obtained her Registered Nursing License. After a few years, she then found herself single and raising 3 children on her own. She met and fell in love for a second time, with a man from California, and soon thereafter found herself moving to California to get married and to be with the father of her 4th child, bringing along 3 teenagers to the warmer California climate. It is here that she started raising 3 teenagers and a newborn and working full time to further establish her nursing career. Then yet again, she found herself in the role of a single mother, her older teenagers grown, trying to find their own way, and her youngest growing into childhood. It was then that God moved into her life and brought her the man she would finally find peace with, her prince charming, husband Anthony “Tony” Raper. Tony had a son that he brought to the marriage as well. They met in 1984, and married in 1986. Not only did Tony bring her renewed hope in love, but a renewed hope in life – introducing her and our family to Our Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ. Her life and roots were firmly planted in faith and hope and life in warm sunny California and life was good. Judi gave her life to the Lord and served him until her dying day.

She hadn’t seen the last of Minnesota though, with much of her close family still residing in Minnesota, she and Tony returned for a visit back to Minnesota. While on this visit, their journey brought them to a little ol’ town of Paynesville, where her brother had planted his roots in retirement. It was then that they fell in love with this cute little town and decided they wanted a place in Paynesville to call their own. With their hard work and perseverance, they established a life that many of us call the best of both worlds – Living her summers in Paynesville and her winters in California, bringing both of her worlds together as one. This was her life’s dream and she achieved it.

After retiring from a 35 year of nursing – she always carried that passion with her. A Nurse wasn’t what she was, but WHO she was. She carried her nursing passion well into her retirement, and continued to give with everything she had to all she encountered until her very last moments on earth.

Although Judi faced many adversities throughout her life here on earth - between family, health, the world’s challenges we all experience, she always faced it head on, and persevered showing her strength and faith in the Lord, as an example to others. She was a strong, independent, faithful, God fearing woman who took care of everyone as if they were her own.

Judi was a devoted wife, mother, sister, aunt, and nurse. She was a proud Grandma and Great-Grandma. Always giving, caring and sharing. She loved her family, her friends and her Savior, Jesus Christ, and was loved exponentially in return by ALL. Heaven gained a glorious Angel, but left a large gaping hole here on earth for all that she left behind. She will be remembered with happy, loving and fond memories, and her generosity will continue to live on through her family and friends, and of course through the seeds of faith she sowed into us ALL.

She will forever be our beloved guardian angel in heaven.