Roberta A. Johnson

Roberta A. Johnson, age 49, of Moorhead, MN, passed away on Tuesday, November 9, 2010, in Sanford Health, Fargo, ND.Roberta grew up the oldest of five in a lively and loud household where politics, religion and laughter reigned. High School at Shanley in Fargo, ND was friends, family, lakes, cross-country skiing and dances. She was an exchange student to Monterrey, Mexico and also had the life changing experience of living the summer of 1978 with Father Jack Davis in missions in Chimbote, Peru. In 1983, she received a Bachelor of Social Work from Moorhead State University with a Spanish minor, getting to attend a semester in Guadalajara, Mexico. Later she received her Master of Social Work and License in 1991 from Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio, TX. She loved the Spanish language and had many friends who communicated in it.Roberta worked with migrants in the Red River Valley, and then with refugees and immigrants in Northern Texas. She was connected with the Catholic Worker Houses of both Dallas and San Antonio for the 11 years she and Bill were living in Texas. She worked as an adoption caseworker in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Catholic Charities Offices and recently worked as the part time Resource Coordinator for Make a Sound Choice of First Choice Clinic in Fargo. Roberta and Bill met during the Catholic Worker Days in Dallas and they were married on July 18, 1987. Ever handsome and dashing and now truly her hero. Roberta and Bill are proud parents of Jeremiah 22, Daniel 19, Rachel and Rebekah 1st trimester miscarriages, Russell 16, Julia 14, Joshua 11; and have been privileged to be a part of Roberta's first daughter's life whom she placed for adoption in 1984, Sara 25. Roberta's kids are the loves of her life, always! She is also survived by brothers, Mark Glessner of Fargo, ND, David Marci Glessner and Matt Mary Glessner both of Grand Forks, ND; a sister, Mary Chad Niles of Oxbow, ND and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, John Glessner.Roberta loved participating in the Mass and all her life really liked participating on church things whenever possible. Members of St. Joseph's since 1996 she and Bill were pleased about the Catholic schooling available for the children and all the opportunities surrounding Mass participation. Roberta and a close girlfriend started "MACH 1 Mother's and Children," a faith sharing and Bible Study group for moms of kids of all ages in the school year 1997-1998 at St. Joseph's. The written material has now been used in churches in the Crookston, Fargo and Bismarck Dioceses. Roberta was also a grateful member of twelve-step programs for 23 years, attending meetings once or twice a week since she started. Roberta Glessner was born February 28, 1961, to John and Beverly Brown Glessner and was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia AML on September 4, 2009. Remission was achieved, but eventually the leukemia relentlessly took over her body, but never her spirit. A very special thank you to the Roger Maris Cancer Center and the staff on the 7th floor of Sanford Health.