Margarete Johnson

Margarete Johnson (Hafner), 84, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2026. Born in Freiburg, Germany, in 1942 amid the turmoil of World War II, she was the first child of Helmut and Frida Hafner. She spent her early years with her sister Sieglinde, while her brothers Karlheinz and Michael were born after the war. After completing school and an apprenticeship as a bank clerk, she traveled to Paris as an au pair, where she met and fell in love with Carroll F. Johnson, a member of the US Army. They married in 1965, moved to Sacramento in 1966, and later to Lawrence, where Carroll completed his studies in pharmacy.

The couple lived for many years in Chicago, where Margarete worked for various airlines and Carroll practiced as a pharmacist. Upon retirement, they settled in Duxbury, Massachusetts, before returning to Lawrence in 2001, where they spent the rest of their lives accompanied by their beloved dogs. The passing of their dog Annabelle the previous year was especially difficult for Margarete, who had found in her a loyal companion through all of life’s seasons.

In Lawrence, Margarete became known as a dedicated Master Gardener and a longtime supporter of Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas. Her greatest passion was her garden, which she tended with care and expertise. She volunteered for 23 years with Monarch Watch and the Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners, helping to establish a butterfly-shaped pollinator garden in 2004. Through her efforts and those of her colleagues, the garden grew to include at least 150 varieties of plants that bloomed from early spring through late fall. Designated as Monarch Waystation No. 1 in 2005, it became a model for conservation, earning top awards and inspiring similar habitats around the world. Margarete often described her time in the garden as a healing, almost sacred experience, and she warmly invited others to sit among the flowers, watch the butterflies, and simply enjoy the beauty around them.

Those who knew Margarete will remember her as a kind, strong, and generous woman who offered a helping hand to everyone she met. She will be forever loved and deeply missed by all whose lives she touched.