Rapid City - MaryAnn Johnson, 83, died Saturday, May 23, 2015 at the Rapid City Regional Hospital. She was born December 9, 1931 to Harold G. and Genevieve (Ball) Williams in Hastings, Nebraska. She attended school in Grand Island and Alliance, Nebraska and Rapid City, South Dakota, graduating in 1949. She attended Duchense College in Omaha, Nebraska. In high school and college, MaryAnn studied voice and sang at weddings, school functions, concerts, and was a member of Paha Sapa All Girl choir in Rapid City. She sang with the community chorus, Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyoming and with the RCW singers at Rincon County West Resort in Tucson, Arizona. MaryAnn grew up loving all animals. She had dogs, cats, horses, and a 4-H calf during her lifetime. She rode with the Rapid City Boots and Saddle Club and was a member of a 36-horse precision calvary drill team and performed in rodeos and fairs in South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska in the late 1940's. She also rode in the barrel and relay races. She was chosen as the first Horse Show Queen at the West River Horse Show in Rapid City, SD in 1948. On March 25, 1951, MaryAnn married Robert E. Johnson in Rapid City and three sons were born, Stephen, Daniel, and Jeffrey. They lived in Rapid City; Alexandria, Virginia; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Camp McCoy, Wisconsin; Pierre, South Dakota; Minot, North Dakota; Bozeman and Billings, Montana; and Sheridan, Wyoming. MaryAnn was active in the Republican Party serving as secretary of the Sheridan County Republicans, president of the Republican women, volunteer at the YMCA during membership drives and taught pre-school swimming and also special-ed swimming classes. She was a member of the Sheridan County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and served as president, vice president and chairman of the walking blood bank. She volunteered and helped with Head Start in Billings, Montana and was a den mother for the Cub Scouts in North Dakota. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi in North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. She organized and arranged the music and directed a choral group of women who sang for various functions in Bozeman and Billings, Montana. She loved the outdoors and went camping, swimming, boating, water skiing and hiking. She was a member of the Bot Sots camping club and served as president and secretary and also belonged to the Good Sams of American. After retirement in 1980, Bob and MaryAnn traveled in their motor home throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and made two trips to Alaska. She loved to travel and made many friends on the way. She enjoyed entertaining at her home in Sheridan and hosted many family reunions and holiday dinners and summer barbecues. MaryAnn liked to crochet, making rag rugs, afghan's and finished a quilt that her grandmother had started in the 1940's and several that her mother had unfinished. She enjoyed working on the computer and playing software games. Since 1940, MaryAnn has been writing poems and biography's about her son Stephen, her mother, father, and grandparents. Several poems have been published. She belonged to the RCW Writers Club in Tucson, AZ. MaryAnn's family was very important to her and she was always there for them. Her granddaughters: Kimberley Sukstorf and Shirley Dowdy and great-granddaughters: Haeley Nichelle Johnson and Abagale Dowdy, Alexandrea Rose and Savanna Grace Sukstorf and grandson-in-law Derek Sukstorf and also a grandson-in-law: Charles Dowdy were so special to her. She was blessed with more family when her son Jeffrey married Linda Stout and increased the family with another three granddaughters, two great-granddaughters and four great-grandsons. She loved it when her family would come home and they could get together. Bob, her lifetime companion, was the love of her life and they had many happy times in their 61 and ½ plus years of marriage. After the death of her husband, Bob on September 18, 2012 in Sheridan, Wyoming, MaryAnn moved to Rapid City, SD to be closer to family and enjoy living in the Black Hills where she was raised. MaryAnn is survived by her two sons: Daniel Johnson of Nemo, SD and Jeffrey and Linda Johnson of Gillette, WY; daughter-in-law: Susie Comer and her husband Roger of Prescott Valley, AZ; five granddaughters; six great-granddaughters; four great-grandsons; one brother: Mark Williams and his wife Cathy and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law: Ray and Pat Johnson all of Rapid City; sister-in-law: Lois Finch of Hardeeville, SC; sister-in-law: Louise Williams of Bloomington, MN; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and great friends throughout the country. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents; husband Bob, son Stephen; four brothers; and several aunts and uncles. MaryAnn left this message to her family. "Miss me when I am gone, but please don't cry. I will always be with you, in spirit and in memories. Just think of all of the joy we had together. My life was full. I loved and was loved." Her Christian Memorial Mass will be 1:00 pm Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 520 Cathedral Drive, Rapid City. Inurnment will be at 3:00 pm, Tuesday, June 2, at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Her husband, Robert Eugene Johnson, who died September 18, 2012 will also be buried at the same time with full Military Honors provided by Rushmore VFW Post #1273 Honor Guard and the South Dakota Army National Guard Honor Guard.