Mourners pack church for funeral of slain missionary

Tiffany Johnson was remembered Saturday as a young woman on a mission to spread the love of God around the world.

Before Johnson's life was cut short by a gunman at age 26, she worked hard on that mission, family members and friends and co-workers said as about 900 mourners packed St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Chisholm for her 90-minute funeral service.

Johnson died last Sunday when a former student at the Youth with a Mission training center in Colorado opened fire.

She was remembered as a giving person who several years ago placed her trust in Jesus at a Target Center evangelistic event that she attended with her grandparents.

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For more than an hour before the service, hundreds of friends and acquaintances filed past family members offering hugs.

"She always told me, `Dad, you think you can control things, but you can't. The Lord controls things,"' her father, Tom Johnson, told mourners. "I'd like to ask all of you to instead of saying, 'I love you,' on the telephone to your children, to look them in the eye and say 'I love you' - because Tiff taught me that."

Johnson was born in nearby Hibbing and graduated from Hibbing High School and Normandale Community College in Bloomington. Her funeral - with contemporary Christian songs including "Open the Eyes of My Heart," "I can Only Imagine" and an old traditional, "It is Well With My Soul," - was a tribute to her life and faith.

The support for her family was overwhelming throughout the week.

On Friday night, 1,500 to 2,000 people turned out at a four-hour visitation, said Tim Johnson, a funeral director at Rupp Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

On Saturday, 74 flower arrangements adorned the church, filled with Johnson's former classmates, missionary co-workers, church members and family friends.

Johnson had served for Youth with a Mission in Egypt, Libya and South Africa and was a hospitality director at the training center in Arvada, Colo., when she was killed. One of her goals was to help needy children in third world countries.

John Mark, a missionary leader at Cedar Valley Church in Bloomington, Johnson's home-based church, called her a "beautiful and extraordinary lady."

"She was the type of person who would do anything you asked her to do," Mark said. "If you don't have love for Tiffany, something is wrong with your heart."

Johnson made friends easily, always stayed in touch with friends and family and made time for others, friends said.

"She always called me for recipes and advice," said her mother, Diane Jacobson of Hibbing. "Over the last week, I can still hear her saying, `I l-o-v-e y-o-u m-o-m-m-y!' I am so grateful for all the people who loved her so much."

Johnson's maternal grandmother, Betty Holmquist of Little Canada, said Johnson gave her life to Jesus at an evangelistic event at the Target Center. "It was powerful," she said. "They weren't cheering for the Timberwolves, they were cheering for Jesus. We were sitting in the balcony and when they were done speaking we asked her if she wanted to go down to the floor. She said, 'I'll go with you if you go with me."'

The funeral was conducted by the Rev. Dave Oler of First Assembly of God Church in Hibbing.

"Jesus took Tiffany's life and blessed it and transformed it, and spread it out to the entire world," said Oler. "This world needs more Tiffany Johnsons - more people that would let God love them."

A memorial fund established in Johnson's name at www.tiffanyjohnsonmemorialfund.com will be used to fund youth ministry work, said her father.

A memorial service was held in Colorado earlier in the week.

--- Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com