BETTY JOHNSON, 83 KIDNAPPED BANKER WAS HER FATHER EDWARD BREMER'S DAUGHTER TAUGHT KINDERGARTEN, HELPED CHARITIES
Betty (Bremer) Johnson was 8 years old when her father dropped her off at her Summit Avenue school in St. Paul on a January morning in 1934. He was bludgeoned in the head and kidnapped a few minutes later.
Edward Bremer was a prominent local banker, and the Barker-Karpis gang was looking for easy money. After 18 days, Bremer was returned to his family for a $200,000 ransom.
Johnson, 83, died last week, but the memories of that incident never left her, said her husband, former Minnesota Rep. Robert W. Johnson.
"She learned a lot about law, certainly, and met a lot of people who were interested in enforcing the law," Robert Johnson said.
Agents lived in her house during those 18 days and played with young Betty, according to interviews she gave in the 1995 book "John Dillinger Slept Here" by Paul Maccabee.
"They were her buddies," Robert Johnson said.
Later in life, Betty Johnson attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
She earned a master's degree at the University of Minnesota and returned as a kindergarten teacher to the Summit School, where her father dropped her off on that fateful day.
Betty and Robert Johnson, who lived in St. Paul until moving six months ago to Mendota Heights, both were only children and reveled in raising their three boys and three girls.
"She was fantastic," Robert Johnson said. "They don't hardly make 'em like that anymore. She was a marvelous mother, wife and grandmother."
Her oldest daughter, Beth Hult, 55, of Chicago, agreed. "She's the reason we all know the importance of family and home."
Betty Johnson gave time and money to many charities, her husband said, including the English-language learner program Everybody Reads!, the Minnesota Historical Society and Catholic and Lutheran churches (she was Catholic, he is Lutheran).
"A lot of the charities are gonna miss her," Robert Johnson said.
Gardening and fishing were favorite hobbies, and Robert Johnson said that two years ago, his wife of 56 years reeled in the biggest walleye ever caught on Lac La Croix in Canada.
Robert Johnson, who served in Minnesota's House of Representatives from 1963 to 1975, said Betty was a very supportive spouse but wasn't very political.
"I was a lousy politician," Johnson said. "But she was taking care of our children, so I could do that."
Besides her husband and oldest daughter, Betty Johnson is survived by daughters Susan Kantor, of Englewood, Colo.; Leigh Johnson, of Eagan; sons Edward Johnson, of Eagan, David Johnson, of Eagan, Rick Johnson, of St. Paul; and 13 grandchildren.
Services were held Monday.
Betty (Bremer) Johnson was 8 years old when her father dropped her off at her Summit Avenue school in St. Paul on a January morning in 1934. He was bludgeoned in the head and kidnapped a few minutes later.
Edward Bremer was a prominent local banker, and the Barker-Karpis gang was looking for easy money. After 18 days, Bremer was returned to his family for a $200,000 ransom.
Johnson, 83, died last week, but the memories of that incident never left her, said her husband, former Minnesota Rep. Robert W. Johnson.
"She learned a lot about law, certainly, and met a lot of people who were interested in enforcing the law," Robert Johnson said.
Agents lived in her house during those 18 days and played with young Betty, according to interviews she gave in the 1995 book "John Dillinger Slept Here" by Paul Maccabee.
"They were her buddies," Robert Johnson said.
Later in life, Betty Johnson attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
She earned a master's degree at the University of Minnesota and returned as a kindergarten teacher to the Summit School, where her father dropped her off on that fateful day.
Betty and Robert Johnson, who lived in St. Paul until moving six months ago to Mendota Heights, both were only children and reveled in raising their three boys and three girls.
"She was fantastic," Robert Johnson said. "They don't hardly make 'em like that anymore. She was a marvelous mother, wife and grandmother."
Her oldest daughter, Beth Hult, 55, of Chicago, agreed. "She's the reason we all know the importance of family and home."
Betty Johnson gave time and money to many charities, her husband said, including the English-language learner program Everybody Reads!, the Minnesota Historical Society and Catholic and Lutheran churches (she was Catholic, he is Lutheran).
"A lot of the charities are gonna miss her," Robert Johnson said.
Gardening and fishing were favorite hobbies, and Robert Johnson said that two years ago, his wife of 56 years reeled in the biggest walleye ever caught on Lac La Croix in Canada.
Robert Johnson, who served in Minnesota's House of Representatives from 1963 to 1975, said Betty was a very supportive spouse but wasn't very political.
"I was a lousy politician," Johnson said. "But she was taking care of our children, so I could do that."
Besides her husband and oldest daughter, Betty Johnson is survived by daughters Susan Kantor, of Englewood, Colo.; Leigh Johnson, of Eagan; sons Edward Johnson, of Eagan, David Johnson, of Eagan, Rick Johnson, of St. Paul; and 13 grandchildren.
Services were held Monday.
BETTY JOHNSON, 83 KIDNAPPED BANKER WAS HER FATHER EDWARD BREMER'S DAUGHTER TAUGHT KINDERGARTEN, HELPED CHARITIES
Betty (Bremer) Johnson was 8 years old when her father dropped her off at her Summit Avenue school in St. Paul on a January morning in 1934. He was bludgeoned in the head and kidnapped a few minutes later.
Edward Bremer was a prominent local banker, and the Barker-Karpis gang was looking for easy money. After 18 days, Bremer was returned to his family for a $200,000 ransom.
Johnson, 83, died last week, but the memories of that incident never left her, said her husband, former Minnesota Rep. Robert W. Johnson.
"She learned a lot about law, certainly, and met a lot of people who were interested in enforcing the law," Robert Johnson said.
Agents lived in her house during those 18 days and played with young Betty, according to interviews she gave in the 1995 book "John Dillinger Slept Here" by Paul Maccabee.
"They were her buddies," Robert Johnson said.
Later in life, Betty Johnson attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
She earned a master's degree at the University of Minnesota and returned as a kindergarten teacher to the Summit School, where her father dropped her off on that fateful day.
Betty and Robert Johnson, who lived in St. Paul until moving six months ago to Mendota Heights, both were only children and reveled in raising their three boys and three girls.
"She was fantastic," Robert Johnson said. "They don't hardly make 'em like that anymore. She was a marvelous mother, wife and grandmother."
Her oldest daughter, Beth Hult, 55, of Chicago, agreed. "She's the reason we all know the importance of family and home."
Betty Johnson gave time and money to many charities, her husband said, including the English-language learner program Everybody Reads!, the Minnesota Historical Society and Catholic and Lutheran churches (she was Catholic, he is Lutheran).
"A lot of the charities are gonna miss her," Robert Johnson said.
Gardening and fishing were favorite hobbies, and Robert Johnson said that two years ago, his wife of 56 years reeled in the biggest walleye ever caught on Lac La Croix in Canada.
Robert Johnson, who served in Minnesota's House of Representatives from 1963 to 1975, said Betty was a very supportive spouse but wasn't very political.
"I was a lousy politician," Johnson said. "But she was taking care of our children, so I could do that."
Besides her husband and oldest daughter, Betty Johnson is survived by daughters Susan Kantor, of Englewood, Colo.; Leigh Johnson, of Eagan; sons Edward Johnson, of Eagan, David Johnson, of Eagan, Rick Johnson, of St. Paul; and 13 grandchildren.
Services were held Monday.
Betty (Bremer) Johnson was 8 years old when her father dropped her off at her Summit Avenue school in St. Paul on a January morning in 1934. He was bludgeoned in the head and kidnapped a few minutes later.
Edward Bremer was a prominent local banker, and the Barker-Karpis gang was looking for easy money. After 18 days, Bremer was returned to his family for a $200,000 ransom.
Johnson, 83, died last week, but the memories of that incident never left her, said her husband, former Minnesota Rep. Robert W. Johnson.
"She learned a lot about law, certainly, and met a lot of people who were interested in enforcing the law," Robert Johnson said.
Agents lived in her house during those 18 days and played with young Betty, according to interviews she gave in the 1995 book "John Dillinger Slept Here" by Paul Maccabee.
"They were her buddies," Robert Johnson said.
Later in life, Betty Johnson attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
She earned a master's degree at the University of Minnesota and returned as a kindergarten teacher to the Summit School, where her father dropped her off on that fateful day.
Betty and Robert Johnson, who lived in St. Paul until moving six months ago to Mendota Heights, both were only children and reveled in raising their three boys and three girls.
"She was fantastic," Robert Johnson said. "They don't hardly make 'em like that anymore. She was a marvelous mother, wife and grandmother."
Her oldest daughter, Beth Hult, 55, of Chicago, agreed. "She's the reason we all know the importance of family and home."
Betty Johnson gave time and money to many charities, her husband said, including the English-language learner program Everybody Reads!, the Minnesota Historical Society and Catholic and Lutheran churches (she was Catholic, he is Lutheran).
"A lot of the charities are gonna miss her," Robert Johnson said.
Gardening and fishing were favorite hobbies, and Robert Johnson said that two years ago, his wife of 56 years reeled in the biggest walleye ever caught on Lac La Croix in Canada.
Robert Johnson, who served in Minnesota's House of Representatives from 1963 to 1975, said Betty was a very supportive spouse but wasn't very political.
"I was a lousy politician," Johnson said. "But she was taking care of our children, so I could do that."
Besides her husband and oldest daughter, Betty Johnson is survived by daughters Susan Kantor, of Englewood, Colo.; Leigh Johnson, of Eagan; sons Edward Johnson, of Eagan, David Johnson, of Eagan, Rick Johnson, of St. Paul; and 13 grandchildren.
Services were held Monday.
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