Yvonne R. "Coffee" Johnson

Yvonne Rosalie Johnson, aka “Coffee”, age 65, of Ogema, died Thursday, December 15, 2022, at Marshfield Medical Center in Weston, following a short illness.

Yvonne was born December 13, 1957, in Illinois to Oris and Roene Smith. From a young age, Yvonne had a zest for living life her way and without a doubt she did everything on her terms. She had a passion and deep love for living life, she enjoyed spending time with her large and ever-growing family of 6 children, 31 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, with more little ones on the way. Family was so important to her.

She loved flowers and her gardens were something that brought her great enjoyment. She was known for her incredible ability to bring laughter and smiles to everyone, no matter the situation. She used humor and laughter to cope and ease her through the rough and unpleasant times. She loved to make you smile and even if it was a quick text or funny emoji, she strived to make every day a good day. She will be remembered for her love of dragons, completing puzzles and diamond paintings. She possessed a love for animals, feeding strays, that quickly became some of her most treasured companions. She enjoyed fishing and taking trips to admire nature, especially waterfalls.

Yvonne obtained four separate degrees including: Associate of Arts in Business Administration, Medical Billing and Coding; Bachelor of Business Administration, Healthcare Management; Master of Healthcare Management; and Master of Business Administration, Human Resources Management.

Yvonne lived a life that was not free from heartbreak, she lost the first love of her life, KC Haring on April 24, 1998, due to a motorcycle accident. In 2002 she met her soulmate and life partner, Gary Fox and spent the next 20 years with him before he lost his battle with cancer on September 14th, 2022.

She will be greatly missed and forever treasured by her children, Jeremy (Jennifer) Somers of Tomahawk, Joey (Camron) Bybee of Mosinee, Mike Somers (Leanne) of Irma, Jennifer (Stephen) Radtke of Birnamwood, Christina (Ben) Noland of Grants Pass, Oregon, and Rosalie (Dustin) Baitinger of Ogema; brothers Mike (Laddie) Smith and David Smith; 31 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and 2 more on the way. She is further survived by Gary’s parents Everett and Ruth Fox.

She was preceded in death by her parents Oris and Roene Smith; a sister Becky Smith; KC Haring; a grandson, Codi Beck; and her life partner, Gary Fox.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, December 29, 2022, at Hemer-Pickerign Funeral Home in Medford with the Rev. Paul Woods officiating.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m. Thursday, December 29,  at the funeral home.

Hemer-Pickerign Funeral & Cremation Services of Medford and Rib Lake is serving the family. Online condolences can be left at www.hemerfuneralservice.com.

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