Obituary

Obituary from The Messenger of Truth Issue 15, 2012:

Willard Miles Johnson was born to Elias A. and Josephine Holdeman Johnson on March 16, 1921, at Zimmerdale, Kansas, near Halstead. He peacefully fell asleep on June 11, 2012, at our apartment in the Oakwood Retirement Community, Brooksville, Mississippi, reaching the age of ninety-one years.
At three years of age, he moved with his parents to Rich Hill, Missouri. There he grew to manhood. When he was fourteen, he attended revival meetings in a country school, where he heard the call of the Lord, repented, and received the peace of God in his heart. He was baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite by Min. D. H. Dyck on March 8, 1936. This faith was precious to him, and he embraced it to the end.
Dad was drafted during World War II. Because he was a conscientious objector and not willing to compromise his faith, he was given a farm deferment and moved to Montezuma, Kansas. While there, he found his life’s companion in me, Frances Koehn, and we were united in marriage in the old Montezuma church building on September 24, 1944. We shared nearly sixty-eight years. To our union were born three sons and five daughters. Life held its mixture of joys and sorrows, and together we faced the challenges that came our way. On December 26, 1950, Dad was ordained to the gospel ministry. He labored in this calling for a number of years.
For twenty-four years, we made our home in western Kansas near the Montezuma congregation. Dad worked hard to provide for his family and was involved in farming, dairying, and custom haying. On February 1, 1968, we moved to Rich Hill, Missouri. Dad loved living on the farm near the Marmaton River. He was a great observer of nature and always had a ready story to share about the many experiences of life. Then in August 1989, we moved to Macon, Mississippi, to be near our family. One of his greatest joys was being near his children and grandchildren, and his foremost concern was their salvation. His plea until the very end was that not one would be missing in heaven. His last words to them were, “Never give up.” Dad was a lover of the Scriptures, and in his later years, he gave himself to memorizing many passages. He was unashamed to talk to those he met about the salvation of their souls.
We as a family lovingly cared for Dad, and as he neared his end, we were often comforted by his patience and sweet spirit. Cancer caused him much suffering. His resignation in the face of this suffering was an inspiration to us.
Those left to cherish many precious memories are his beloved wife, Frances; and their eight children: Joyce Ashworth, Macon, Mississippi; Joe and wife, Janice, Macon, Mississippi; Carolyn and husband, Galen Nichols, Macon, Mississippi; Camilla and husband, Victor Lynn Smith, Mayfield, Kentucky; David and wife, Brenda, Macon, Mississippi; Susan and husband, Steve Kliewer, Isabella, Oklahoma; Richard and wife, Janette, Brooksville, Mississippi; and Lori and husband, Earl Koehn, Brooksville, Mississippi. He will be greatly missed by thirty grandchildren, four stepgrandchildren, forty-five great-grandchildren and eight stepgreat-grandchildren.
He is also survived by one brother, Charles Johnson, Rich Hill, Missouri, and two sisters, Lois Eastland, Phoenix, Arizona, and Jewel McGinnis, Yuma, Arizona. His parents and two brothers preceded him in death.
Funeral services were held on June 14, 2012, in the South Haven Mennonite Church, Macon, Mississippi. Officiating ministers were Leo Classen, Larry Giesbrecht, and Ron Schmidt. Interment was in the South Haven Church Cemetery, Macon, Mississippi.