Yvonne Mary Blanchard Johanson

Mrs. Yvonne Mary Blanchard Johanson, 90, of D’Iberville, MS, passed away Tuesday, May 28, 2019 in Biloxi. Born February 15, 1929 in Plaquemine, LA, Mrs. Johanson was the daughter of Joseph Albert Blanchard and Amy Chauvin Blanchard. When she was just six months old, her mother Amy passed away. Her father Joe moved with his three small children to his native Biloxi, MS. There Yvonne and her brothers were raised primarily by their father with the aid of his sisters Louise and Eula Blanchard. As a child, Yvonne spent summers in the Louisiana swamps with her late mother’s large extended family, staying on the houseboats of her many aunts, uncles and cousins. Later in life, she fondly recalled those wonderful summers, learning and living the Cajun French culture that was her mother’s heritage. Yvonne was so proud of that legacy, passing it down to her family through the generations. After graduation from Biloxi High School, Yvonne worked for Ellzey’s Hardware for several years, and later at the ‘telephone company’ before marriage to the love of her life, Pete. Together they raised four children, making their home in Biloxi for over 50 years, relocating to D’Iberville after Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home. A lifelong Catholic, Yvonne was a former member of St. Michael’s and later St. Louis in Biloxi, and in her final years St. Mary’s Parish in Woolmarket. Yvonne, along with husband Pete, enjoyed travelling in their camper to visit family, and made lifelong friends through their many camping excursions through the years. She fostered a love of reading in her children, and later her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Fiercely competitive, ‘MawMaw’ was relentless in pursuing ‘the win’ whether playing cards, dice games or dominoes well into the night with family. She especially relished victories over sons-in-law Lee and Franz, who loved to heckle and tease her mercilessly. Yvonne was multi-talented, creating many beautiful things which she proudly displayed in her home, or gave as gifts to loved ones. She loved going to the monthly ‘eat out with the ladies’, a group of cherished longtime friends who started out many years ago as the “Crafty Ladies” who met periodically to sew, craft, eat, and just spend time visiting. The enduring love and friendship among these wonderful ladies into their 80s and 90s are so inspiring to us all. Yvonne, above all, loved her church, loved her family and she loved life. Her sense of fun and humor were legendary in the family. From dressing up in outlandish costumes for Mardi Gras and hauling a station-wagon load of kids to the parade, as one niece remembered, to her infectious laugh at the silliest things, she was her own unique person loved by all whose lives she touched. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 60 years, Peter M. Johanson, Sr.; daughter, Nancy Ann Johanson; granddaughters, Amber Anderson Meyer and Delia Barnes Kelty; brothers, Everiste Jules (E.J.) Blanchard, Sr., and Clarence Joseph Blanchard; and son-in-law, Lee Carron. Yvonne is survived by her daughters, Karen Johanson Barnes (Franz) and Debbie Johanson Carron; her son, Pete Johanson, Jr. (Sharon); grandchildren, Jeff Patterson (Shianne), Carlton Anderson (Melanie), Maria Humer (Will), Meghan Martin (Jon), Kiersten Johanson, Janna Harper (Ronda), Roy Carron, and Patrick Kelty; and great-grandchildren Kaitlyn, Karyssa, and Landon Hamilton, Isabel Humer, Jackson and Carter Martin, Ashton Carron, and Baylor and Christian Blum. She will be fondly remembered and surely missed by her many dear nieces, nephews, and special cousins, both in her Biloxi and Louisiana families. Mrs. Johanson’s family wishes to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many special people in her life who helped care for her the past few years: Dr. Eva Magiros, Dr. Hoyet Hand, and Dr. Christopher Karcher; the dedicated therapists of Amedisys Home Health Care; and the staff of caring angels of LeMoyne Place Assisted Living. We are especially grateful to Jennifer Watson, her personal caregiver who provided her own unique brand of tender loving care to our loved one, Yvonne. A funeral liturgy will be celebrated at the Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Biloxi on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. Friends may visit from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Biloxi City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to your favorite charity in her memory are appreciated.