Obituaries & Guestbook

Donna Lee M. (Franzen) Johnson, 85, of Sheboygan, a strong lady who lived with multiple myeloma for seven years, passed away peacefully at the Shores of Sheboygan Assisted Living on March 4, 2022, where she had resided the last three years. Donna was born to the late Herbert and Ruth Franzen on August 29, 1936, in Sheboygan.
She went to school at Jefferson Elementary and graduated from North High School in 1954 where she played basketball, sang in the choir and was part of plays. Donna married her high school sweetheart, Thomas Johnson on February 27, that same year at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Sheboygan, celebrating 64 years together until Tom’s death in 2018.
Donna prided herself most on being a wonderful and loving mother, grandmother and homemaker but also spent 29 years working part time for the H.C. Prange Company and Prange Way.
Family was everything to her and she loved spending time with them, helping them and as their number one fans at school and music events as well as on the sidelines. She loved her home, flowers, and gardening. Donna enjoyed hosting family dinners, cookouts, and holidays. As an only child, she also enjoyed their time with Tom’s large and extended family. She loved get togethers with neighbors and friends eating out, at neighborhood pools, bonfires and at their homes and Sheboygan Theater Company shows.
Donna and Tom followed their kids as supporters of the Accents and Youth Band marching groups as part of their parents’ organizations and chaperones. They loved a parade and always could be seen along the parade route. Donna enjoyed being part of her kids’ schools as a PTA member, working in the Cooper library and was a leader for both girl and boy scouts, leading her son Larry to an Eagle Scout. A lifelong member of St. Dominic parish, Donna was very involved. She was a member of the Christian Women’s group, a greeter, a money counter, a funeral planner and served on the grounds crew. She and Tom were 58-year members and active volunteers of the Knights of Columbus and its Women’s Auxiliary.
Donna and Tom loved to travel and saw much of the country. They drove to Niagara Falls, Florida, St. Louis, Branson, Nashville, the Dakotas, and Texas to see Tom’s sister. They were big Packer and Brewer fans even traveling to a Packer game in Detroit visiting Toronto on the trip. They did bus tours to New York to see Tom’s brother and Branson. And saw everything in between. They flew to Florida, California, Las Vegas, and Hawaii. Favorite spots were Disney World, Branson, Mackinac Island, cottages, and golfing in Door County.
She and Tom also loved to golf together and enjoyed sharing their love of it with their kids and grandkids. She belonged to the Town & Country women’s Tuesday morning league and played cards with her fellow golfers year-round. Until COVID Donna still enjoyed getting together with her classmates’ reunion group. Donna is survived by her daughter Lori (David) Biebel; grandchildren, Adam, Ryan, and Lindsay
Biebel, daughter-in-law Jamie Johnson, son-in-law Steven (Christy) Carpenter; grandchildren Kelly (Michael) Anhalt, Matthew (Kelly) Carpenter and Joseph Carpenter; great grandchildren, Brady and Brinn Anhalt and William and Madeline Carpenter; all of the local area. As well as three brothers-in-law and many nieces, nephews, and close friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, children Linda Carpenter, Lee and Larry Johnson, her parents, an infant sister, her in-laws, four sisters-in-laws and two brothers-in-law.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 11th at St. Dominic Catholic Church, 2136 N. 21st St., Sheboygan, with Fr. Mark Brandl officiating. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until the time of Mass at 3:00 p.m. Private burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery.
The family wishes to thank the wonderful, caring healthcare professionals and staff of the Shores of Sheboygan Assisted Living and Sharon Richardson Hospice, Dr. Matthew’s Oncology and Dr. Pawlek’s office who helped care for Donna. In addition, special thanks to family and her wonderful friends who helped when Tom passed away, kept in touch, and visited her.
In lieu of flowers a memorial is being established in Donna’s name.