Amy was born on April 28, 1938, to Ervin and Esther (Holdt) Johansen in Santa Cruz, California. The family returned to the West Denmark, Wisconsin, community in 1940. Amy passed away with her children at her side on April 12, 2025 from heart related issues.
Amy attended East Laketown School until it closed, due to a fire, in 1951, and then Luck Public Schools where she graduated in 1956. She worked for a summer in the Twin Cities before enrolling in Grandview College, Des Moines, Iowa. After her freshman year, she and a friend traveled to Europe spending the summer hiking, biking, and traveling around by train from Denmark to Italy. She loved traveling and, after returning from Europe, she was employed as an airline reservationist in Minneapolis, Minnesota and later in Tampa, Florida. There she met Jeffrey Ripberger, a Naval Officer, and they were married in 1960.
Jeff’s military service led them to live in Barbados, Japan, New York City, San Diego, California and Washington D.C., and finally in Bloomington, Indiana. Amy and Jeff had three children, Erika (Tim) Henke of Bloomington; Rio (Andrea) Ripberger of Stoughton, Wisconsin; and Karen (Gary) May of Bloomington. After her children were grown, Amy owned and operated a gift shop for several years before retiring.
Amy was preceded in death by her parents; and her brother, Harley Johansen. She is survived by her brother, Harry Johansen; sisters-in-law Nancy Johansen (Harley) of Spokane, Washington and Christine Johansen (Harry) of Luck, Wisconsin; her children; and her grandchildren, Grace Henke, Estelle Henke, Holt Henke, and Jake May, Alice Ripberger, Finnley Ripberger (Courtney), Anna Ripberger, and Lilly Ripberger, and step grandson Tyler Henke (Dana); along with step-great-grandchildren, Emma, Fiona and Conner Ripberger (Finley) and Coletta and Lucy Henke (Tyler).
A memorial service is planned for May 24, at the West Denmark Cemetery followed by a coffee and memories at the West Denmark Fellowship Hall.
