LaVida Kay (Johnson) Dickinson, of Northfield, MN, formerly of Chadron, NE, and Springfield, SD, died Friday, September 4, 2026. She was 82. A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday, October 17, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Selby, SD, with a burial service at Bethany Church (rural Mound City, SD) following. There will also be a gathering in her honor in the Black Hills next summer, date TBD.

LaVida was born in Mobridge, SD, on December 23, 1943, to Clara and Victor Johnson. She attended the one-room elementary Kuehl School across the road from the family farm near Mound City, graduated from Selby High School and then South Dakota State University, where she met her future husband, Zane Dickinson. They were married on September 3, 1966 — 60 years and a day before she died.

Vida and Zane, as they were known, moved several (many!) times in the early years of their marriage, and had three children, Shelly, Derek and Danita. LaVida worked as a journalist in Rapid City and Springfield, SD, and as the public information officer at the University of South Dakota/Springfield. When the family relocated to Chadron, NE, in 1984, she started working as the adviser of the Chadron State College newspaper, the Eagle, and continued in that position teaching and encouraging students until her retirement in 2011. She and Zane moved to Northfield, MN, later that year.

LaVida was loved and respected by many, including her former students and “Eagle kids” who credit her with giving solid writing advice often with a touch of humor, sharing home-cooked food at memorable gatherings, and offering her very optimistic guidance on life. She valued education and finished her master’s degree at CSC in ‘86.

LaVida and Zane and their family spent summers camping, usually in the Black Hills of South Dakota, plus an especially adventurous road trip to visit relatives in Alaska when the kids were young.

LaVida had great memories of growing up in Campbell County, South Dakota, and did extensive genealogy research and writing about her extended families’ history. She enjoyed visiting (often by email and Facebook) with relatives, coworkers and friends through the years. She especially loved family gatherings and reunions. Earlier this summer she road-tripped with niece Jodi Fick to the Johnson family reunion in South Dakota and spent hours laughing and reminiscing with relatives.

LaVida cherished spending time with her grandchildren, especially when their parents weren't around to interfere. She was an avid reader and crossword puzzler/word gamer, loved creating crocheted and knitted items, and considered baking to be highly therapeutic.

LaVida often joked that her headstone should include the words, “But wait, I have more to say.” There is so much more we could say as we remember our mother, sister, aunt, cousin, grandmother, adviser and friend.

She is survived by children Shelly, of Northfield, Derek, of Kremmling, CO, and Danita (Alex Barrows); grandchildren Julien and Lincoln Ros, Karni Dickinson, of Chicago, Jalen Dickinson, of Claremore, OK, and Neil Barrows; siblings Ken (Donna), Lloyd (Ruby), and Dean (Nancy) Johnson; many cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces/nephews and much-loved relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her good husband Zane, infant brother Larry, sister Mavis Dahlgren; brothers-in-law Vince Dahlgren, LeRoy Morgan and Sidney Phelps; sisters-in-law Melva (Dolly) Morgan and Ardis (Ardie) Phelps.