Minnesota’s Legendary ‘Blue Ribbon Baker’ Marjorie Johnson Dies at 106

NEED TO KNOW

• Marjorie Johnson, Minnesota’s “Blue Ribbon Baker,” has died at age 106

• Johnson won over 2,500 ribbons at the Minnesota State Fair — with more than 1,000 of them being blue ribbons

• The celebrated baker also made appearances on The Tonight Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show and The Talk to demonstrate her baking skills

Marjorie Johnson, Minnesota’s prize-winning baker, has died. She was 106.

Robbinsdale, Minnesota’s “blue ribbon baker” was known for her top-notch baked goods and sweet treats, which earned her numerous accolades at the Minnesota State Fair, per Fox 9, CBS News and NBC affiliate Kare11. Johnson had also made appearances on The Tonight Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show and The Talk in the past to demonstrate her culinary prowess.

Brad Sutton, mayor of Robbinsdale, said Johnson’s “endless energy, warmth and talent in the kitchen brought smiles to so many faces, both her at home and across the nation,” per CBS.

“Marjorie wasn’t just Robbinsdale’s ‘Blue Ribbon Baker’ — she was a beloved neighbor, a source of inspiration, and a shining example of the joy and generosity that define our community since 1968,” Sutton said.

Johnson was born in Minneapolis in 1919, Kare 11 reported, and entered her first baking competition in her 50s. Johnson collected more than 2,500 ribbons while competing at the State Fair — 1,000 of which were first-place blue ribbons, per her Blue Ribbon Baking site — which she participated in even past her 100th birthday.

The legendary baker also authored a cookbook, The Road to Blue Ribbon Baking, in 2007. the book includes “one hundred prize-winning recipes that will delight your taste for home-made favorites and keep you laughing while you’re waiting for the timer to go off.”

“With over a thousand blue ribbons to her credit, Marjorie has learned a thing or two about baking,” Johnson’s cookbook description read.

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In addition to her robust baking career, Johnson was known to be a very active individual, per CBS and Kare 11. She exercised with a personal trainer at her local New Hope YMCA three times a week, the latter reported.

“Always think positive; don’t eat a lot of junk food; and exercise every day,” Johnson told the outlet in 2021. “Oh, and have a cup of blueberries every day.”

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