MONROE - There isn't much left on Helen Johnson's bucket list. She's traveled extensively and at 97 is still enjoying life, family and friends. Despite not wanting to stay in Monroe for more than a couple of years, she says she's so happy to be in a community where she's been able to make wonderful friends, be involved and still find so much to do in the city she calls home.
She was born in Wiota in 1920 and lived through the depression. Her father built homes for a living, but business was slow at the time. She attended a one-room elementary school that held first- through eighth-graders. Johnson says she enjoyed her time there greatly.
Her grandmother lived around the corner from her and her five siblings, and she has wonderful memories of spending time with her, learning to drink coffee.
Sadness came to the family when Johnson lost two of her siblings to pneumonia while they were young. She says she recalls the hard time for the family but adored and appreciated the three brothers she grew up with.
Johnson rode to Argyle High School with her younger brother. She enjoyed school and says it was easy to be a leader in the small classes. She graduated in 1938, at the top of her class and gave the graduation speech. Her plan was always to head for New York - she wanted to live in Greenwich Village and be a reporter for the New York Times. Her family always received a newspaper, she said, and it always interested her.
Despite being a good student, there wasn't money for college and Johnson instead decided to go to Madison Vocational School for bookkeeping and accounting. She then worked for a year at Rossing's grocery store in Argyle, living in the home of Viola Rossing. She moved on to Darlington Rural Electric Company before being offered a job in Madison at a gas company. Although she moved on to other jobs, she always returned to the gas company when they asked her.
Eventually, Johnson decided to stop working and attend UW-Madison for journalism, a career that always lingered in the back of her mind. She worked in the history department at Bascom Hall for a year and struggled to pay for school on her own. She earned 33 credits and had a 4.0 GPA but was tired of being poor, she said. She decided to get a job and save some money.
Johnson met her future husband, Lester, who was in the military and was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. The couple was married shortly after his return in 1945.
When Lester decided to go into the car business with his brother in Monroe, Johnson says she wasn't happy about leaving Madison, a place she dearly loved by then.
"I said I would go to Monroe for two years and then I would move back to Madison," Johnson said. "That never happened. But I'm so glad it didn't. I love it here. It worked out great."
She was rooted to the community, in many ways. Her uncle Floyd was the judge in Lafayette County for 10 years and his photo still hangs in the courthouse. She had family around and soon found that Monroe had a lot to offer.
The couple had three daughters over five years, and Johnson stayed home with them while they grew up. She says her husband became active in the community, joining all he could, including the American Legion, VFW and Masons.
He encouraged Johnson to do the same, she said, and as members of Grace Lutheran Church, she decided she would become part of a circle there. She still makes coffee once a month for her longtime circle that she's been a part of for years.
"The church was one place I could go for adult conversation," she recalls. "That's when I started getting involved."
Together, the couple joined the Eastern Stars and were chosen as Worthy Matron and Patron. Johnson also joined the Woman's Club at that time and has been a member for more than 60 years. While her daughters were involved, she became a Girl Scout leader and has wonderful memories of taking groups to overnight camps and day camps around Monroe.
Once her youngest daughter was older, Johnson says she began working as the bookkeeper for the Johnson Buick Pontiac car dealership. She says she very much enjoyed the employees there and the work that came with it.
Lester's brother had left the car business to get into real estate and, eventually, Lester did the same. Johnson says she used her skills often to help out with Lester's home appraisals.
The couple enjoyed getting away in their camper often as a family. Johnson says they would travel from coast to coast in the summertime, making family memories that have lasted a lifetime.
"That was a big part of our life," she said.
When their oldest daughter was a senior, they welcomed a foreign exchange student to their home from Germany for a year. Johnson says it was a connection that is still strong between them, and they have visited one another and call often to keep in touch.
"We added one more to our family when she came," Johnson said.
Their three daughters all earned degrees from UW-Madison, which makes Johnson especially proud since she never finished hers. And the family also enjoyed attending Badgers football games as often as they could.
Johnson said she has made wonderful friends in Monroe, and many she holds dear each week as she plans outings often to stay busy. She says she's glad she took her aunt's advice when she was young to learn to play bridge, because it was a popular pastime when she came to Monroe, and she has been part of clubs for years. She still plays every Wednesday with a group and twice a month with another group.
"In my life, I've had so many good friends," she said. "So many of them I still think about all the time."
Johnson has also belonged to Light of the Ludlow Reading Club for several years - and although she doesn't read as much as she used to, she loves getting together with the group. She does, however, still get newspapers and reads them cover to cover.
Johnson enjoys spending time with her three daughters, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She loves talking on the phone, going to lunch, driving her Buick, using her computer, spending time with friends and entertaining whenever she can.
"For me, this has been a wonderful community all these years," she said. "I have no complaints."
Johnson loves supporting the Monroe Arts Center and the Monroe Theatre Guild, saying the entertainment Monroe offers is something special. She also loves Turner Hall. She belongs to the New World Swiss Club and the Sons of Norway.
"I think everyone should know what a wonderful community we have here," she said.
Through the years, Johnson has seen much of the world, including Italy, Germany, Scotland, Ireland and England. She has an upcoming cruise planned to Prague - one of the last places she'd love to see - and says she is looking forward to the time with her daughter.
After 45 years of marriage, Lester died in 1990. She says despite the loss of him, her siblings and some friends along the way, she still feels grateful for all she has in her life. She adores the community that has fulfilled her through the years.
"My cup runneth over," she concluded.
She was born in Wiota in 1920 and lived through the depression. Her father built homes for a living, but business was slow at the time. She attended a one-room elementary school that held first- through eighth-graders. Johnson says she enjoyed her time there greatly.
Her grandmother lived around the corner from her and her five siblings, and she has wonderful memories of spending time with her, learning to drink coffee.
Sadness came to the family when Johnson lost two of her siblings to pneumonia while they were young. She says she recalls the hard time for the family but adored and appreciated the three brothers she grew up with.
Johnson rode to Argyle High School with her younger brother. She enjoyed school and says it was easy to be a leader in the small classes. She graduated in 1938, at the top of her class and gave the graduation speech. Her plan was always to head for New York - she wanted to live in Greenwich Village and be a reporter for the New York Times. Her family always received a newspaper, she said, and it always interested her.
Despite being a good student, there wasn't money for college and Johnson instead decided to go to Madison Vocational School for bookkeeping and accounting. She then worked for a year at Rossing's grocery store in Argyle, living in the home of Viola Rossing. She moved on to Darlington Rural Electric Company before being offered a job in Madison at a gas company. Although she moved on to other jobs, she always returned to the gas company when they asked her.
Eventually, Johnson decided to stop working and attend UW-Madison for journalism, a career that always lingered in the back of her mind. She worked in the history department at Bascom Hall for a year and struggled to pay for school on her own. She earned 33 credits and had a 4.0 GPA but was tired of being poor, she said. She decided to get a job and save some money.
Johnson met her future husband, Lester, who was in the military and was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. The couple was married shortly after his return in 1945.
When Lester decided to go into the car business with his brother in Monroe, Johnson says she wasn't happy about leaving Madison, a place she dearly loved by then.
"I said I would go to Monroe for two years and then I would move back to Madison," Johnson said. "That never happened. But I'm so glad it didn't. I love it here. It worked out great."
She was rooted to the community, in many ways. Her uncle Floyd was the judge in Lafayette County for 10 years and his photo still hangs in the courthouse. She had family around and soon found that Monroe had a lot to offer.
The couple had three daughters over five years, and Johnson stayed home with them while they grew up. She says her husband became active in the community, joining all he could, including the American Legion, VFW and Masons.
He encouraged Johnson to do the same, she said, and as members of Grace Lutheran Church, she decided she would become part of a circle there. She still makes coffee once a month for her longtime circle that she's been a part of for years.
"The church was one place I could go for adult conversation," she recalls. "That's when I started getting involved."
Together, the couple joined the Eastern Stars and were chosen as Worthy Matron and Patron. Johnson also joined the Woman's Club at that time and has been a member for more than 60 years. While her daughters were involved, she became a Girl Scout leader and has wonderful memories of taking groups to overnight camps and day camps around Monroe.
Once her youngest daughter was older, Johnson says she began working as the bookkeeper for the Johnson Buick Pontiac car dealership. She says she very much enjoyed the employees there and the work that came with it.
Lester's brother had left the car business to get into real estate and, eventually, Lester did the same. Johnson says she used her skills often to help out with Lester's home appraisals.
The couple enjoyed getting away in their camper often as a family. Johnson says they would travel from coast to coast in the summertime, making family memories that have lasted a lifetime.
"That was a big part of our life," she said.
When their oldest daughter was a senior, they welcomed a foreign exchange student to their home from Germany for a year. Johnson says it was a connection that is still strong between them, and they have visited one another and call often to keep in touch.
"We added one more to our family when she came," Johnson said.
Their three daughters all earned degrees from UW-Madison, which makes Johnson especially proud since she never finished hers. And the family also enjoyed attending Badgers football games as often as they could.
Johnson said she has made wonderful friends in Monroe, and many she holds dear each week as she plans outings often to stay busy. She says she's glad she took her aunt's advice when she was young to learn to play bridge, because it was a popular pastime when she came to Monroe, and she has been part of clubs for years. She still plays every Wednesday with a group and twice a month with another group.
"In my life, I've had so many good friends," she said. "So many of them I still think about all the time."
Johnson has also belonged to Light of the Ludlow Reading Club for several years - and although she doesn't read as much as she used to, she loves getting together with the group. She does, however, still get newspapers and reads them cover to cover.
Johnson enjoys spending time with her three daughters, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She loves talking on the phone, going to lunch, driving her Buick, using her computer, spending time with friends and entertaining whenever she can.
"For me, this has been a wonderful community all these years," she said. "I have no complaints."
Johnson loves supporting the Monroe Arts Center and the Monroe Theatre Guild, saying the entertainment Monroe offers is something special. She also loves Turner Hall. She belongs to the New World Swiss Club and the Sons of Norway.
"I think everyone should know what a wonderful community we have here," she said.
Through the years, Johnson has seen much of the world, including Italy, Germany, Scotland, Ireland and England. She has an upcoming cruise planned to Prague - one of the last places she'd love to see - and says she is looking forward to the time with her daughter.
After 45 years of marriage, Lester died in 1990. She says despite the loss of him, her siblings and some friends along the way, she still feels grateful for all she has in her life. She adores the community that has fulfilled her through the years.
"My cup runneth over," she concluded.