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Marjorie Johnson, a celebrated baker from Robbinsdale, died on Thursday morning with her children by her side, according to family.
She was 106.
Johnson was known as the “Blue Ribbon Baker” of Minnesota, having earned countless awards for her baked goods at the Minnesota State Fair, as well as many county fairs. She made regular appearances on local and national TV — including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show” — often in a signature red dress and matching kitten heels.
The Minnesota State Fair called Johnson “the winningest baker in State Fair history” and “a true Minnesota State Fair icon.”
”For more than half a century, she embodied the very best of the Great Minnesota Get-Together — creativity, community and pure joy,” reads a statement from the Minnesota State Fair shared Friday. “Marjorie’s legacy will continue to inspire generations of competitors and fair guests for years to come.”
Johnson didn’t start entering baking competitions until her mid-50s and she continued competing well past her 100th birthday. She won second place for her gingersnap cookies and third place for her sweet rolls at this year’s State Fair.
“Everybody who wants to live and feel good, and not die in their 60s and 70s and 80s, they have to think positive," she told the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2023.
"What I do, is I wake up in the morning and say to myself, 'Today is going to be a wonderful day.' And at the end of the day, it will be a wonderful day."
Johnson was a “4’8” dynamo” who enjoyed spending her entire day baking, according to her website. Johnson documents some cherished recipes in her 2007 book, “The Road to Blue Ribbon Baking.”
Ever the extrovert, Johnson loved places where she could meet and talk with new people, according to family. Her favorite spots included the Minnesota State Fair and gatherings like weddings and graduations.
“Anywhere there were people,” Johnson’s niece Ginny Keeney told MPR News after confirming her aunt’s death.
Johnson only allowed herself a small sweet treat every day and was passionate about exercise. A regular at the New Hope YMCA, she did cardio well into old age, according to CCX News. Her personal trainer told the Twin Cities suburban outlet that Johnson enjoyed using the treadmill and watching “Wheel of Fortune.”
Johnson’s health had been declining over the past two months, according to her niece. Her burial and celebration of life will be private, she said.
Johnson will be laid to rest next to the late LeRoy “Lee” Johnson, who she described in his 2013 obituary as a “blue ribbon husband.” The Johnsons are survived by three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren due to be born very soon, according to Keeney.
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