Karen L. Johnson

Karen L. (Voog) Johnson, age 71, of Yankton, South Dakota, died Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at Avera Majestic Bluffs Hospice House in Yankton, South Dakota, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Funeral services will be 10:30 AM on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Yankton, South Dakota, with Reverend Jeff Otterman officiating. Burial will be in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Yankton. Visitation is from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton with a prayer service at 7:00 PM.

Karen Louise Johnson was born May 5, 1954, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Lowell and Priscilla (Andersen) Voog. She grew up on the farm near Centerville, South Dakota and attended Rose Cottage District 68 country school. Her mother died when she was very young, and Karen stepped up to help her family around the house, showing strength and compassion far beyond her years. She graduated from Centerville High School in 1972 and then attended Grand Island Business School in Grand Island, Nebraska. She later moved to Yankton, South Dakota and began working at Royal Sport Shop. She married Mike Johnson on September 14, 1986 at the Chapel in the Hills in Rapid City, South Dakota. They later purchased Royal Sport Shop, where Karen faithfully served customers for 52 years. After her girls graduated, Karen also worked part-time at Menards in Yankton.

Karen will be remembered by so many as one of the most beautiful, kind, and hardworking people they had ever known. Her beauty radiated from within — in her gentle spirit, her generous heart, and the way she made everyone feel welcome and valued. She worked tirelessly for her family and her community, never seeking recognition, but always giving her very best. To her family, she wasn’t just beautiful, kind, and hardworking — she was their safe place, their biggest supporter, and the heart of their home.

Even throughout her illness, Karen showed remarkable strength, grace, and faith. She faced her diagnosis with quiet courage, thinking of others before herself and continuing to love her family fiercely every step of the way. She loved working with her customers and took pride in creating the perfect design for each person who walked through the door. She had a true green thumb and filled her home with beautiful plants.

Family was the most important thing in Karen’s life. She was an incredible wife and mother—steadfast, supportive, selfless, and deeply loving. She never missed a sporting event her children were involved in and was always their biggest cheerleader. Her greatest joy was being a grandmother. She adored her grandchildren—Ember, Maya, and Roman—and treasured every moment creating special memories with them. They were the light of her life, and her love for them was immeasurable.

Karen will be greatly missed but forever remembered for her beautiful heart, unwavering love, and the countless lives she blessed.

Survivors include her husband, Mike Johnson of Yankton; son, Michael Damon (Mary) Johnson of Mesa, Arizona; two daughters: Ashlea (Steve) Tecker of Farmington, Minnesota and Rachael (Reggie) Miles of San Tan Valley, Arizona; brother, Bruce (Sandy) Voog of Centerville, South Dakota; sister-in-law, Kathy Voog of New London, Minnesota; grandchildren: Ember, Maya, and Roman; uncle Vernon Andersen, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Lauren Voog.