Karol Johnson

Karol Joy Johnson was born on September 19th 1942, in Columbia, South Carolina. She is the eldest child in her family. She has one younger brother and two younger sisters. Her family moved to Pierre, South Dakota when she was in 2nd grade. During her childhood, Karol went by her middle name, Joy. However, she had a teacher that refused to call her by her middle name, which is when Karol started to stick. Growing up, Karol would answer phones for her father’s furnace installation business. She understood that this was an important job and learned the value of responsibility at a young age. She washed the dishes and did other household chores for her parents.

When Karol was asked if she ever got in trouble in school, she responded by saying “No, I had too many responsibilities”. Her favorite teacher was her 5th grade teacher, Ms. Hutchinson. She liked her because she was a disciplinarian in the classroom. Ms. Hutchinson once told a naughty boy that he was a nincompoop which is one of Karol’s favorite memories from school.

Karol met her future husband, Gene Johnson, in algebra class. She was in 9th grade, and he was a junior. Karol graduated from high school in 1960. The summer after graduation, she started working for the Federal Highway Department. Gene started a construction business which led to their family moving around the state to towns that were building highways. Gene and Karol had three daughters together. When asked how the two disciplined their children when they were young, Karol said that since their dad was gone during the week, if they misbehaved, all she had to do was rattle the utensil drawer. If that didn’t work, she took out a wooden spoon. Karol joked that she told her daughters she could either make cookies or paddle them.

Karol put her education on hold to raise their children. She attended college at Black Hills State University when she was 36 years old. She got a degree in business and then did the book work for her husband’s construction business. One of her favorite jobs was being a church secretary and she liked accounting. The Johnson’s moved to Spearfish, South Dakota in 1978. Gene and Karol were married almost 60 years and shared many wonderful memories. When she was asked to describe Gene, Karol said he was very adventurous. He was a hunter and took people on mountain hunting guides. They also had a boat that he taught her how to drive. She has many fond memories of their time on the lake in the summer. Karol said, “You have to wake up every morning and know that it’s a new day and a gift.”

Karol retired in 2013, but still does the bookkeeping for a couple organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, reading, sewing, and painting. She has a barn and pasture with a few horses and mules. She also enjoys listening to country music. She is very generous and loves to make treats for other people. She loves spending time with her family. Two of her daughters currently live in Spearfish and one lives in California. She shared that she has been blessed with six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and six step great-grandchildren. She loves watching them play sports. Karol is very proud of her family and holds them close to her heart.

When asked what her advice to young people is, Karol responded with “This is one of the best times of your life. Your responsibility is to do the best you can in school. Be grateful and be kind. Be proud that you live in the United States.” She also mentioned the importance of being a kind person because you may know someone now, that you will meet again later in life. We loved hearing Karol’s wisdom and learning about her life.