Barbara "Lani" Johnson

Barbara "Lani" Johnson

Galena, Ill.

Barbara "Lani" Johnson, of Galena, Ill., passed away peacefully at The Views of Marion on Friday, March 31, 2023. A funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 15, 2023, at the Furlong Funeral Chapel, Galena, where friends may call after 10 a.m. until the time of service. The cremated remains will be buried in St. Michaels Catholic Cemetery, Galena.

Barb was born in 1938 to George and Vera (Lanigan) Fisher in Chicago, Ill. She attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she received a bachelor's in elementary education and was a member of the Tri Delta sorority and alumni group. She would go on to earn her master's in special education from Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa. She married Robert W. Matias in 1960 in Chicago and they lived together in Cedar Rapids for 23 years. Barb taught elementary school in Marion and substitute taught in Cedar Rapids. She later taught special education in Center Point. Barb would go on to marry Robert J. Johnson in 1990 in Las Vegas, Nev., and he preceded her in death on July 18, 2022. They retired to Galena where they lived together for 34 years. While in Cedar Rapids, she was active in the Children's Theater Play-Time Poppy, Junior League of Cedar Rapids, and the Cedar Rapids Horse Show. In Galena, she participated in the Artist's Guild, Jo Davies County League of Women Voters, Historical Society, ARC, and Galena Art Foundation, and was an instructor member of the Association for Horsemanship Safety and Education. Barb was an avid lover of animals and the outdoors. She enjoyed painting and gardening on the hill behind her house overlooking downtown Galena. When she wasn't in her garden or spending time with her family, you could find her out at the stable riding her horses, fox hunting, and participating in horse shows. She also enjoyed participating in the many parades of Galena with her husband.

Barb and Robert Matias had three sons, Michael (Kathy) of Marion, James of Cedar Rapids, and Matthew (Kim) of Fairfax. Barb loved spending time with her grandchildren, Jon Matias, Nicole (Doug) Tallerico, Chelsea (Jacob) Lancaster, Mitchell Matias, Brandon Matias, and Stephen Matias, and adored her great-grandchildren, Harrison, William, Owen, and Ilia. She also enjoyed her stepchildren, Ann Martin, Robert "Buzz" Johnson, Meleah Mathahs, Dan Johnson, their families, and her many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Robert Johnson. In her own words, Barb would like to thank "all the friends who gave me strength and joy." In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Galena Center for the Arts or the Galena ARC in memory of Barb.

Online condolences may be left at www.furlongfuneralchapel.com.